All Cornell University faculty are welcome to participate in Commencement events during the weekend on the Ithaca Campus. Faculty may wear their own regalia or borrow at no cost, for the entire weekend. Note regarding 2025 Commencement: Please return borrowed faculty regalia to the gray bin outside B13 Day Hall at your earliest convenience. We are located in the basement of Day Hall on the Sage Chapel side of the building. Thank you!
Please check back in the fall of 2025 for details regarding Commencement Weekend 2026.
The online pre-ordering is now closed. But do not worry as the vendor brings many extras, so rest assured you may obtain an outfit.
Please go to the pick-up location below and let the vendor and staff know that you are a “walk-in” faculty member and did not order online. They can assist you efficiently knowing you did not pre-order online. They will provide a cap, gown and hood for you. You do not have to pay a late fee.
Pick Up Dates for ALL pre-orders and walk-in orders at Teagle Hall, 1st floor Multipurpose Room
May 21 – 23 (Wednesday – Friday) 10am-6pm
May 24 & 25 (Saturday & Sunday) 8am-6pm
Please return to B13 Day Hall, 8am-5pm weekdays. Thank you!
To Purchase a Personal Outfit to Own
Faculty who have earned PhD degrees from Cornell may purchase regalia through Herff Jones directly. Regalia purchases are personal transactions, separate from rental instructions shown above. Custom regalia needs to be ordered by April 1st to have in time for Commencement, so please plan accordingly.
Instructions for both University Ceremonies
8:15 am or 12:45 pm Faculty assemble on Arts Quad, wearing regalia
All faculty, including emeritus professors, assemble on the sidewalk at the southeast corner of Morrill Hall.
9:00 am or 1:30 pm Procession to Schoellkopf begins
The university marshal, the dean of the faculty, and the faculty marshals will lead the faculty past the presidential reviewing party to the sidewalk along Olin Library and into the Day Hall parking lot. The group will divide and line both sides of the sidewalk to allow the academic procession to pass between the two lines.
9:15 am – 10:00am or 1:45 pm – 2:30 pm Procession arrives at Schoellkopf Field
Once the students file past the faculty, the faculty rejoin the procession and proceed to Schoellkopf Field. Volunteers and faculty marshals will direct faculty down the appropriate aisles to their seats.
10:00 am – 11:00 am or 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm Commencement Ceremonies At the conclusion of the ceremony, the president, college deans, trustees, administrative staff, and faculty exit in that order using the center aisle.
Parking for Commencement
Interior central campus roads will be closed to all traffic 6:30 am-5 pm on Saturday, Commencement Day. Refer to the parking page for details.
Forest Home Parking Garage: This is free and open all weekend. Please consider parking here especially if going to an event near it and/or going directly to the Arts Quad to assemble for the procession to Schoellkopf.
Other Parking: Faculty may also park on Central Ave (arrive via University Ave) or the Sibley Lot (arrive via University Ave), then walk to the Arts Quad to assemble for the procession to Schoellkopf.
Buses: Buses will run continuous routes across campus 7:30 am – 5:00 pm with stops at A Lot, West Campus, Central Campus, B Lot and Crescent Lot. If riding a bus to the Arts Quad, exit at the Goldwin Smith or Uris Hall bus stops. Walk to Arts Quad to assemble near Morrill Hall, for the procession to Schoellkopf.
You are welcome to do so, but are not required to do so. Faculty from the colleges can assemble with any of their colleagues.
Where will I sit when I get to Schoellkopf Field?
There is an area reserved within the student seating area for faculty to sit on Schoellkopf Field. Volunteers wearing red vests will direct you to the seating area where you will sit with your peers.
Faculty are welcome to attend the PhD Recognition Ceremony in Barton Hall, and are encouraged to participate in the formal procession, wearing academic regalia. Faculty may also attend and sit in the audience.
All are invited to enjoy the reception immediately following the ceremony.
Arrival and Schedule
5:00 – 5:30 p.m. Faculty arrive inside Barton Hall
5:45 – 5:55 p.m. Line up at “Faculty” sign at Garden Ave side of Barton
6:00 – 7:15 p.m. Procession and Ceremony
7:15 – 8:00 p.m. Reception with light refreshments
Parking
Faculty may park in the Hoy Road Parking Garage and surrounding lots on Friday.
Parking
You do not need to park in your permit location Friday – Sunday. Please review weekend parking information and plan accordingly, as certain roads on central campus are closed all day on Saturday. If you have questions about parking for a specific college or department event, please contact the event planner.
Both Commencement Ceremonies will be held outdoors at Schoellkopf Field on Saturday, even if it is raining, hot, or cold. However, if potentially dangerous weather, torrential downpour, high winds, lightning, or any other condition is deemed too unsafe to hold the ceremonies at Schoellkopf Field, we will enact our Severe Weather Plan and the ceremonies affected will be canceled and unable to be rescheduled. Please review the Severe Weather Plan for details.