Graduation Ceremony
¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Graduation Ceremony
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Student Services
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MÂ TÂ WÂ Th: 9:00a.m. – 5:00p.m.
F: Closed
Congratulations, Class of 2026!
2026 ¾ÅÉ«ÊÓƵ Commencement Ceremony
Friday, May 22, 2026
Watch the 2026 Commencement
General Event Details
Confirmed graduates will receive an email to their student email address from studentservices@contracosta.edu when tickets become available for pick up from the campus Book Store on Monday, April 27th. If you are unable to pick up your tickets you must email the above email address from your student email address to confirm who will be picking your tickets up for you.
Depending on participation, more tickets may become available by May 11th. We will send a follow up email to let graduates know if more tickets are available (you will be notified if you will or will not receive extra tickets). Additional tickets will be available first-come, first-served from the Book Store.
Tickets will be required of all guests and will be collected at the gates. Please provide one ticket to each person over the age of three. Children three years of age and under will be allowed to sit on an adult’s lap.
For additional questions, please reach out to studentservices@contracosta.edu.
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Optional rehearsal. Join us at the tennis courts to follow the procession path and get a sneak peek at how your graduation day will unfold. This is mandatory for volunteers and key presenters however, optional for our graduates.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Graduates must arrive by 2pm at the Basketball Gymnasium so that you are familiar with the commencement route and have enough time to pick up your tassels and complete the photo card. Please come dressed in your cap and gown. Children, parents, or other relatives may not enter the Gymnasium or Stadium. Once you check-in, you will not be allowed to leave so please bring everything you need. There is no storage for your purses, phones, etc.
3:00 p.m. – Comet Stadium gates open for families, friends, and guests.
3:30 – 3:55 p.m. – Graduates form two lines in the gymnasium and begin the procession into the stadium.
4:00 p.m. – Commencement Ceremony begins.
- Speeches by the college President, Faculty Keynote, and Graduate Keynote will address the graduating class.
- Graduates will line up and proceed with their name card to the card reader, then to the dignitaries to receive their diploma cover and have a professional photo taken. Graduates will then return to their seats.
- Once all names are read, the ceremony will conclude, followed by a recessional.
- Stage officials, followed by faculty and then graduates, will exit the stadium.
- Guests will exit the stadium.
Graduates will receive printed programs as they enter the field. Guests will have access to a digital program, ensuring everyone can follow along with the ceremony.
Diplomas are mailed late-July to the student’s physical address on file at Admissions and Records. If your address has changed, please contact our Admissions and Records office as soon as possible at admissions@contracosta.edu.
For more information or questions regarding Commencement contact Student Services at studentservices@contracosta.edu.
Confirmed graduates will receive an email to their student email address from studentservices@contracosta.edu when tickets become available for pick up from the campus Book Store on Monday, April 27th. If you are unable to pick up your tickets you must email the above email address from your student email address to confirm who will be picking your tickets up for you.
Depending on participation, more tickets may become available by May 11th. We will send a follow up email to let graduates know if more tickets are available (you will be notified if you will or will not receive extra tickets). Additional tickets will be available first-come, first-served from the Book Store.
Tickets will be required of all guests and will be collected at the gates. Please provide one ticket to each person over the age of three. Children three years of age and under will be allowed to sit on an adult’s lap.
For additional questions, please reach out to studentservices@contracosta.edu.
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Optional rehearsal. Join us at the tennis courts to follow the procession path and get a sneak peek at how your graduation day will unfold. This is mandatory for volunteers and key presenters however, optional for our graduates.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Graduates must arrive by 2pm at the Basketball Gymnasium so that you are familiar with the commencement route and have enough time to pick up your tassels and complete the photo card. Please come dressed in your cap and gown. Children, parents, or other relatives may not enter the Gymnasium or Stadium. Once you check-in, you will not be allowed to leave so please bring everything you need. There is no storage for your purses, phones, etc.
2:15 p.m. – Comet Stadium gates open for families, friends, and guests.
2:30 – 2:55 p.m. – Graduates form two lines in the gymnasium and begin the procession into the stadium.
4:00 p.m. – Commencement Ceremony begins.
- Speeches by the college President, Faculty Keynote, and Graduate Keynote will address the graduating class.
- Graduates will line up and proceed with their name card to the card reader, then to the dignitaries to receive their diploma cover and have a professional photo taken. Graduates will then return to their seats.
- Once all names are read, the ceremony will conclude, followed by a recessional.
- Stage officials, followed by faculty and then graduates, will exit the stadium.
- Guests will exit the stadium.
Graduates will receive printed programs as they enter the field. Guests will have access to a digital program, ensuring everyone can follow along with the ceremony.
Graduate Etiquette
- Spiked or high heel shoes are not permitted. Graduates will not be allowed to enter the stadium with heels, as they can damage the turf and track. For safety reasons, please wear low or flat shoes.
- Please, no eating or drinking during the ceremony. No food or drinks will be allowed once you enter the Stadium (only water provided at your seat)
- You must remain seated at all times unless an usher has asked your row to stand.
- Family and friends must remain outside of the graduate seating area at all times. They are not permitted to hand you any items during the ceremony; please inform your friends and family that noise makers, balloons, beach balls, Frisbees, and any other item that will create a distraction of any kind are not permitted at the ceremony. Attendees who disregard this policy may be asked to leave.
Guest Etiquette
- Balloons will not be allowed in the stadium. Any guests attempting to enter the stadium with balloons will be asked to return balloons to vehicles.
- Noisemakers are not allowed.
- Children will not be allowed in the processional line with graduates. Children must not be left unattended. If children will be attending, please arrange for them to be with guests during the ceremony.
- All mobile devices should be silenced to avoid any disruptions during the ceremony.
- Alcoholic beverages, glass containers and smoking will not be permitted in the venue. This is a smoke-free, drug-free event.
- Coolers are not permitted in the stands.
- No drones will be permitted. Operators flying drones without permission from the college may result in being escorted off the campus.
- Pets are not permitted on campus, except for service animals.
Graduates should park in lots 6 (except ADA) and then line up in the gym.
There will be designated ADA seats available at the bottom of the stadium bleechers for guests with mobility limits, such as wheelchair users or people uncomfortable with stairs. Please have your guests ask a greeter or campus Police Services to direct them to designated seating.
Graduates may request special accommodations through the graduation RSVP form.
A portion of Parking Lot 1 and Lot 7 will be designated for handicap parking/ADA access to stadium. There will also be a shuttle service from other parking lots to the stadium starting one hour before the ceremony begins and continuing through the ceremony.
Sign language interpreters will be working throughout the ceremony.
If you need special accommodations, submit your request at least five business days in advance of the event to studentservices@contracosta.edu. Once received you will be contacted by our DSPS office to confirm your request has been approved. For our participants and guests who require special accommodations the doors will open at 2:45pm. Please be advised that any special seat accommodation will only be reserved until 4:30pm.
Due to the large number of guests in attendance, parking lots closer to the stadium will be congested. Please encourage your guests to arrive one hour prior to the start of the ceremony (3:00 pm).
Parking is free and first come, first served.
Parking for graduates and attendees will be available in the campus parking lots 1- 6 located adjacent to the Tennis Courts, Stadium, and Gymnasium with additional parking along Campus Drive as well as overflow parking on campus in lots 9 -10.
Diplomas are mailed late-July to the student’s physical address on file at Admissions and Records. If your address has changed, please contact our Admissions and Records office as soon as possible at admissions@contracosta.edu.
For more information or questions regarding Commencement contact Student Services at studentservices@contracosta.edu.
Graduates
10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Optional rehearsal. Join us at the tennis courts to follow the procession path and get a sneak peek at how your graduation day will unfold. This is mandatory for volunteers and key presenters however, optional for our graduates.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Graduates must arrive before 2pm at the Basketball Gymnasium so that you are familiar with the commencement route and have enough time to pick up your tassels and complete the photo card. Please come dressed in your cap and gown. Children, parents, or other relatives may not enter the Gymnasium or Stadium. Once you check-in, you will not be allowed to leave so please bring everything you need. There is no storage for your purses, phones, etc.
Guests, children, and family members are not permitted inside the graduate check-in area. Graduates should plan to meet their guests after the ceremony has officially ended.
Graduates who requested special accommodations for themselves should have been contacted by our DSPS office. CART and ASL services will be available during the ceremony.
Each participating graduate may receive up to 9 guest tickets. Tickets are required for guests to enter the stadium before the ceremony procession is complete.
Parking is available in designated campus lots. Preferential parking is available to graduates in lot 6 near the gym.
Campus map:
Campus parking lots:
ADA parking lots:
Graduates should bring only the items they need for the ceremony.
Please bring:
- Cap and gown
- Any approved regalia, cords, stoles, or sashes
- Student ID or photo ID, if needed for check-in
- Reader card or name card, if provided in advance
- Small personal items that fit in your pockets
There will be no storage available for bags, backpacks, purses, gifts, or personal belongings.
Graduates may not bring the following into the check-in area or ceremony lineup:
- Guests or family members
- High heels, stilettos, and narrow or spiked heels
- Backpacks
- Bags, purses, or items that do not fit in your pockets
- Balloons, gifts, flowers, or large personal items
- Small children
Graduates should arrive dressed in their cap and gown. Please wear clothing and shoes that are comfortable for standing, walking in procession, crossing the stage area, and exiting with your class.
Graduates are welcome to decorate their caps and wear stoles, regalia, or adornments that reflect their culture, heritage, identity, achievements, or personal accomplishments. We love to see it! We ask that all decorations and attire remain respectful, appropriate for a celebratory academic ceremony, and free of offensive or discriminatory content.
Choose shoes you can walk in comfortably.
Commencement includes standing, walking in procession, crossing the stage area, and exiting with your class. Because the ceremony takes place on the stadium track and field, high heels, stilettos, and narrow or spiked heels are not permitted. They can get caught in the turf or track surface, creating a safety risk for graduates and damage to the field.
Please wear flats, sneakers, dress shoes, wedges, or low block heels.
See reference below if you’re unsure.
After the ceremony closes, graduates will be directed out of the ceremony area. Families and guests may meet their graduates after the closing of the ceremony.
A post-graduation video will be available after the ceremony. Details about where and when to view the video will be shared with graduates and guests.
Families + Guests
Guest gates open at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are required to enter the stadium before the ceremony procession is complete.
Guests should have their tickets ready when they arrive. Seating is first come, first served.
After the graduate procession has ended, gates may open to non-ticket holders, space permitting.
ADA support begins at 2:45 p.m. Guests who requested accommodations at least two weeks in advance will receive priority assistance.
There will be a DSPS Drop Off area for those who have requested accommodations/rides to and from the stadium in advance.
Shuttle Service will be available from lots 1.
Parking is available in designated campus lots. Guests are encouraged to arrive early, as parking is first come, first served.
Campus map:
Campus parking lots:
ADA parking lots: , shuttle service available in lots 1.
Guest seating will be available in designated stadium seating areas. Please refer to the stadium seating map for assigned or recommended seating areas.
Add the seating information from Mylani’s PowerPoint here, including:
- General seating areas
- ADA seating areas
- Available on either bleacher area and limited seating available on the field (location to be determined)
- Entry points
- Stroller parking areas
- Stroller parking available on either bleacher area.
- Restroom and Concessions available near stadium entrance
Strollers are not permitted in seating aisles or walkways. Please look for posted signs directing guests to designated stroller parking areas.
To help keep the ceremony safe, comfortable, and respectful for all graduates and guests, please be mindful of those seated around you. Guests are expected to remain in designated seating areas, keep aisles and walkways clear, and avoid blocking the view of other guests during the ceremony.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages are permitted within the stadium.
The following items are not permitted in the stadium:
- Air horns, speakers, bullhorns, or other large noisemakers
- Drones
- Alcohol
- Glass containers
- Smoking, vaping, or drugs
- Pets, except service animals
- Beach balls, Frisbees, confetti, glitter, streamers, or silly string
- Large signs or banners that block views
- Weapons or fireworks
- Coolers
- Large umbrellas, if they block the view of other guests
The following items are permitted, but guests are asked to use them with consideration for others:
- Balloons: Please keep balloons low and out of the sightline of guests seated behind you. We will not store balloons before, during or after the ceremony.
- Small to medium signs or banners: Signs should be held at chest level and should not block another guest’s view.
- Small noisemakers: Please use small noisemakers briefly and respectfully. They should not prevent others from hearing graduate names, speakers, or ceremony instructions.
Guests may also be asked by event staff to lower, move, or put away any item that blocks views, creates a distraction, or interferes with the ceremony.
For everyone’s safety and enjoyment, please:
- Remain seated during the ceremony unless entering or exiting your row.
- Keep aisles, stairs, and ADA seating areas clear.
- Take photos from your seat or designated areas only.
- Do not enter the graduate seating area, procession area, stage area, or field.
- Silence phones and electronic devices during speeches and graduate name announcements.
- Supervise children at all times.
- Dispose of trash in designated bins before leaving the stadium.
Merchandise and concessions will be available during the event. Guests are encouraged to bring any needed payment method and plan for lines.
Guests are asked to remain in the guest seating areas during the ceremony. Please do not enter the graduate seating area, procession area, stage area, or field.
Photos may be taken from guest seating areas, but guests should not block aisles, walkways, or the view of others.
Families and guests may meet their graduates after the ceremony has officially closed. Please remain in the guest seating area until directed by event staff.
To help with crowd flow and safety, guests should not rush the field, block exits, or enter the graduate seating area before the ceremony ends.
Commencement Items for Sale
Caps and Gowns are available for purchase at the bookstore online at: . The last day to order online for home delivery is Monday, May 11th (510-215-4958).
Package price: $39.99 + tax (Cash or debit/credit card accepted)
A professional photographer will be available during graduation to take photographs of students as they exit the stage. If you wish to purchase a graduation photograph, PLEASE BE SURE TO SIGN THE PHOTO CARD you will receive during the graduation rehearsal. Please note that your request for a photograph cannot be honored unless this card contains your signature authorizing the release of your address to the photographer.
Professional photography will be provided by GradImages during the ceremony. Each graduate will be photographed twice, as they shake hands with the college President or other designated official and as they pose with diploma cover before returning to their seat.
Proofs will be emailed with an option to purchase for those graduates providing a valid email address and submitting the requested information. You may also opt-out of this offer if you choose not to purchase photos. Graduates may pre-register with GradImages before the ceremony.
GradImages will provide a ‘Reader Card’ for each graduate to complete and bring with them to the ceremony. Reader Cards can be found in the cap and gown packages. Please fill out the card completely and write legibly spelling your name phonetically for the reader if necessary. You must have this card to present to the reader for your name to be called during the ceremony.
Please visit for more information.