The Commencement Ceremony
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. Saturday 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. Up to 3 additional guests may be seated in the ADA section. 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.
Registration for Commencement Weekend
Registration is only needed for ticketed events during the weekend. The Illumination Social (Friday night) and Commencement Brunch (Saturday morning) are ticketed events. Tickets for the Social and Celebration Brunch can be purchased following the links above.
Events that include a fee do require pre-registration — this includes additional tickets to the Illumination Social, and Saturday Brunch.
All other events during the weekend are free and open to the public, including the Celebration Concert, and Baccalaureate. Additional Illumination Social & Brunch Tickets can be purchased by following the links above and Rain/Indoor Commencement tickets will be distributed to graduating seniors during GradFest.
Any changes to a registration that result in a refund will be honored if they are made either online or by contacting the College Events office no later than May 18, 2026. We do not offer refunds after May 19, 2026. Please contact the College Events team by emailing events@stolaf.edu or by calling (507) 786-3031 for assistance.
There is no cost to attend most of the events held during Commencement Weekend with the exception of the Illumination Social and Celebration Brunch.
Important Campus Information
General Parking
Guests may park in any of the lots located on campus. There is additional parking near New Hall on St. Olaf Ave. Golf cart shuttles will be available to assist those in need of assistance. Public Safety will also 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
There will be complimentary golf-cart shuttle pick up locations at Buntrock Commons and Skoglund Parking. Shuttles run Friday, May 22 from Noon to 8:30 pm & Saturday, May 23 from 8 am – 4 pm (pausing during the Ceremony between 1pm & 3pm).
Please check out our digital campus map.
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.
For graduates not attending the Illumination Social on Friday night or Brunch on Saturday, food will be available through their normal meal plan.
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:
- Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Parents: Planning Ahead
Hotel options are available in the nearby cities of Faribault, Owatonna, Lakeville, Burnsville, Bloomington, or Eagan. Plan to make hotel reservations well in advance since rooms are usually in high demand due to Memorial Day Weekend.
St. Olaf works with GradImages to photograph graduating seniors as they leave the platform. Visit GradImages to pre-register your permanent email address prior to Commencement and they will contact you as soon as your photos are ready for viewing. GradImages will contact you by mail following the ceremony with information on ordering photographs. For further information or to view your photos after Commencement, visit gradimages.com or call 800-261-2576
Graduation announcements can be purchased through Herff Jones and the St. Olaf Bookstore.
If space allows, we will sell Illumination Social and Saturday Brunch tickets on Friday and Saturday. To guarantee your spot, purchasing tickets in advance is recommended.
Graduating seniors will pay for and pick up their caps and gowns at GradFest – a one stop shop for all their Commencement needs. Ordering information will be available late-winter.
Students are welcome to use any solid black cap and gown in good condition rather than purchasing a new set.
Seniors: Preparing for Commencement
If Commencement is held 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. Tickets will be available for pickup at GradFest.
GradFest is a one-stop-shop for graduates to get their commencement-related questions answered, pick up their caps and gowns, and take the required Senior Survey. Visit our GradFest page to learn more.
Yes, all students participating in the Commencement Ceremony should have a black cap and gown.
Information to order a cap & gown and also order rings, diploma frames, and announcements will be available early spring.
Yes. Many people have siblings who have graduated in previous years or are able to borrow from others who have a black cap and gown set. We support any effort to reuse gowns and caps as long as they are completely black in color and are in good condition.
All graduating seniors participating in Commencement MUST meet at Tostrud field house in cap and gown with tassel and honor cords ahead of the start of the ceremony. We will gather in Tostrud at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Rehearsal is held in Tostrud no matter where the ceremony is held. Commencement exercises are complicated and exacting. It is extremely important that you arrive on time so you will be in the right place at the right moment to receive your diploma. During rehearsal, the marshals will talk you through the afternoon’s proceedings step by step: processing, seating, handling yourself on the platform, posing for photographs, post-Commencement procedures, etc. Honor cords will be distributed during rehearsal and water will be available.
All graduating seniors, including those not participating in Commencement Weekend festivities, will each have a lantern at the Illumination Ceremony. We recommend having a friend claim yours for you. Be sure to choose someone who is able to deliver your lantern to you, as St. Olaf does not ship lanterns to graduates.
All graduates will each have a lantern at the Illumination Ceremony. Seniors are not required to take their lanterns after the ceremony, and any unclaimed lanterns will be reused.
You may purchase replacement tassels at the St. Olaf Bookstore.
The bookstore has extended hours during Commencement Weekend:
- Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Still have questions?
Contact College Events by calling (507) 786-3031 or by emailing events@stolaf.edu
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