Here you will find everything you and your family need to about Commencement, including how to prepare and what to expect on the big day.
Getting Ready
Everything you need to know to prepare for the big day.
2020 Commencement
Saturday, May 16
10 a.m. (gates open at 8:30 a.m.)
Forest Meadows Field, Dominican University of California
* Commencement luncheon will be held at Caleruega Dining Hall after the ceremony.
Please contact the Office of the Registrar for an application to graduate, graduate readiness notification (audit status), information about collecting special honors medallions and department honors cords, and information about receiving your diploma by mail.
The regalia package (gown, hood, and mortarboard) will be available for purchase in the Bookstore. Sales dates and times will be announced here as soon as they're available.
Dominican has partnered with Herff-Jones to create graduation announcements and class rings. Herff-Jones will contact you with ordering instructions sometime before mid-March or you can also order/purchase announcements at the Bookstore. Sales dates and times will be announced here as soon as they're available.
Information coming soon.
The annual Baccalaureate Mass will be held in Angelico Hall and will be followed by a brunch in Caleruega Dining Hall. This service is open to all students of any faith, and is a prayerful celebration of the accomplishments of our graduating seniors. Event details will be posted here as soon as they're available.
Graduates and Undergraduates are invited to celebrate the upcoming commencement ceremony with President Marcy. Student awards will be presented at this event. This event will be held at the home of President Marcy. Details coming soon.
On the Day
Come fully dressed in academic regalia (gown, hood, and mortarboard) and pick up a card with your name on it at one of four tables, organized by school. Line according to the school in which you are enrolled. Students do not have to march in alphabetical order, but they do have to march with their school. Event details will be posted here as soon as they are available.
After you enter the tent, please be seated. When your school is called to receive your diploma, you will hand your card to the speaker, who will read your name as you walk across the stage to collect your diploma. If your name may be difficult to pronounce, please be sure it is written phonetically on your card. The ceremony should last about two hours.
Enjoy this time to say farewell to friends, faculty and staff. Information will be posted here as soon as it's available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Commencement will be held inside a tent which will be set up on a field near the Conlan Recreation Center. Please remind your guests to be prepared for any weather, including bright sun and/or rain. There is first-come, first-served guest seating provided inside the tent, with additional seating provided outside on the grass.
We encourage your guests to carpool or take public transportation as parking in the area will be very difficult. Specific parking instructions will be posted here closer to Commencement Day.
There are few handicapped spaces available, but please note — the San Rafael Police Department will strictly enforce parking regulations, including the monitoring of handicapped parking spaces. If you have a guest who is handicapped, it might be best to have someone drop that guest off near Conlan Recreation Center. Also, if the person has trouble walking, consider a wheelchair for this occasion. Some special seating for handicapped persons on a first-come, first served basis.
To request accommodations for disabilities and hearing impairments, including ASL, please contact accessibility@dominican.edu.
The commencement ceremony begins at 10 a.m. and should end between noon and 12:30 p.m. Please be advised to arrive early, as the ceremony will start on time and there are only a limited amount of seats located inside the tent.
Yes. Each student will receive four tickets for seating under the tent. Additional family and friends are invited to bring their own seats and sit outside of the tent on the lawn.
We encourage your guests to arrive prior to 9:30 a.m. to ensure they find an available seat. Gates will open at 8:30 a.m. At 9:30 a.m., any open seats will be made available for general admission.
To request accommodations for disabilities and hearing impairments, including ASL, please contact accessibility@dominican.edu.
Unfortunately we cannot guarantee a seat for every guest. We recommend arriving early, especially if your guest requires a seat in our disabled section, as these tend to fill up quite quickly. "Saving" blocks of seats for guests arriving late is not allowed.
A professional photographer will be at Commencement, shooting both candid and posed photographs of the graduates. Only the official Dominican photographer will be allowed inside the roped-off areas to capture the event.
There is no requirement to attend the Commencement ceremony. Of course, we would like you there but there is no mandate to participate in the ceremony if you choose not to do so.
