The ceremony lasts about two hours.

The decision to hold Commencement on the Campus Green or inside Skoglund will be announced during Baccalaureate at 9 a.m. Sunday morning. If the ceremony will take place inside, the news will be posted in Buntrock Commons and on the college website. You may also call the events office at (507) 786-3031 and listen to the updated greeting.

Accessible seating and sign language interpreting are available both on the Campus Green (outdoor ceremony) and in Skoglund Center Auditorium (indoor ceremony). Tickets are NOT required for this section whether the ceremony is indoors or outside.  Please let the usher know you would like to be seated in the ADA section, and they will assist you to your seats.

Hearing devices are also available for use on the Campus Green or in Skoglund.

No tickets are needed for general seating if Commencement is held outdoors.

If Commencement is indoors due to inclement weather, all seating in Skoglund Auditorium will require tickets. Every graduating senior participating in the ceremony is guaranteed at least three tickets. Graduating seniors will receive these tickets at GradFest.

The Commencement ceremony will be live-streamed to Viking Theater in Buntrock Commons, Tomson Hall 280, and Boe Memorial Chapel regardless of weather or ceremony location.  No tickets are required for these venues, but arrive early to ensure seating.  We encourage families with elderly guests or small children to take advantage of the air conditioned simulcast locations.

Yes! The Last Lecture, Celebration Concert, Illumination Ceremony, Baccalaureate, and Commencement will be streamed and available on-demand.

Graduating seniors do not need to pre-reserve indoor tickets.  All graduates will be automatically issued 3 tickets.  These tickets will be distributed to each graduate during GradFest.

In the event you do not need all 3 tickets for your guests, please consider donating your unused tickets back to the St. Olaf Events team.  We will then distribute additional tickets to those graduates that are seeking to seat more than 3 guests at the indoor Commencement on a first come, first served basis.

Please visit the college’s COVID-19 webpage for updates.

General Parking
Guests may park in any of the lots located on campus. There is additional parking down the hill in the grass field behind Old Main. Public Safety will be on site helping to direct traffic.

Handicap Parking
Handicap parking is available in marked spaces throughout the campus with additional spaces in the parking lot between Tomson Hall and Mellby Hall.

Shuttles For Guests with Accessibility Needs
Golf cart shuttles will be available from the parking lots to locations across campus to assist those with mobility concerns. There will be shuttle pickup locations at the parking lots of Skoglund, Buntrock Commons and at the grass parking lot below Old Main.  We also make pickups at the front entrance of Buntrock to assist with transportation across campus.

Please check out our digital campus map.

Printed campus maps will be available during Commencement Weekend at the Registration Desk in Buntrock Commons.

We request that you do not bring any animals, other than service animals, to the St. Olaf campus.

Campus wheelchairs are limited to emergency use only. If you need a wheelchair or a scooter for use throughout the weekend, you will need to make arrangements with your local medical supply store.

Dining
Food and beverage will be available for purchase in the Cage and Stav Hall, both located in Buntrock Commons. Tickets for the Saturday night Grad Gala or Sunday Brunch must be purchased at the Registration table in the Buntrock Commons Crossroads (Ground Floor).

For graduates not attending the Grad Gala on Saturday night or Brunch on Sunday, food will be available through their normal meal plan. Students will receive an email to RSVP for a Saturday boxed dinner, and they can attend breakfast as usual on Sunday morning from 7:30 am – 9:00 am.

Special Dietary Requirements
Special dietary needs were collected during registration and have been shared with our culinary team. All foods will be labeled and will indicate if the item is Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Contains Nuts, etc.  If you made a specific request in your registration (i.e. Kosher), please ask one of the servers to connect you to a Bon Appetit Supervisor, and they can assist with getting you the proper meal.

The St. Olaf Bookstore, offering clothing, general reading books, and gift items, is open extended hours during the weekend:

• Friday:  8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday:  10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Sunday:  10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.