Graduation 2025
PLEASE NOTE: If you are planning to participate in SRJC’s graduation ceremony, YOU MUST complete the online participation form found in your student portal.
This form must be submitted no later than Friday, May 16, 2025.
Students who miss the sign-up deadline date will not be allowed to participate in the ceremony.
The Graduation Ceremony will be held on May 24, 2025, at 9:00 AM sharp on Bailey Field.
Graduates will be walking on turf, so high heels and stilettos are discouraged.
Please use the first floor of the Zumwalt Parking Garage or the west side of Parking Lot C for drop-offs to the event.
There are no Covid protocols for the event: no masks, social distancing, or vaccine verification requirements.
GRADUATE CHECK-IN AND CEREMONY LINEUP
Graduates should plan to arrive by 7:00 a.m. on the morning of the event and proceed to the Graduate Check-in tables on the Southside of the Burbank Auditorium.
Graduates receive a name card to help announcers pronounce their names correctly when they collect their diploma cover during the ceremony. Graduates will keep the name card with them as they form double-file lines along the pathway running between Bailey Hall and Garcia Hall. Line Monitors will assist graduates in finding their place in line. Graduates who wish to sit next to another graduate during the ceremony must stand side-by-side next to that person in line.
Please note that there is no formal rehearsal for graduation. Event staff will be present at multiple locations and available to provide instructions and guide you and your guests to their locations.
PARTICIPANT/GUEST INFORMATION & EXPECTATIONS
Every guest must have a ticket to attend the event (except graduates and children under 2).
Each Graduate will receive four guest tickets that can be picked up at the Bookstore beginning April 21, 2025. There is no charge for tickets.
Unclaimed tickets will be collected by the Bookstore and be made available through a waitlist beginning Monday, May 19, 2025. More information about the ticketing process can be found on the Bookstores website: https://bookstore.santarosa.edu/grad
Guests with a ticket may access Bailey Field Stadium no earlier than 7:30 AM on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
Any hateful, derogatory, or profane language or any disruptive behavior is not allowed at Commencement.
SRJC is a smoke-free campus and no animals (except service animals) are allowed on campus at any time.
The ceremony will last approximately two and a half hours and be live-streamed with closed captioning. This will be available on YouTube for anyone who does not have a ticket. You can watch the event from the comfort of your home or on your personal device:
DIPLOMAS
Under the direction of ushers, Graduates will rise one row at a time, file to the front of the stage, and present their Graduate Announcement Cards to event staff at the stage. Graduates will then move across the stage to the President, who will present a diploma cover and a handshake. Graduates will then have their official graduation photo taken and return to their seats. Ushers will direct students through this process.
Spring diplomas will be mailed to graduates in early July 2025
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS
To request seating accommodations please contact Kimberly Starke at kstarke@santarosa.edu or (707) 527-4278 by Friday, May 16, 2025. Families of those with seating accommodations will be seated together.
Accommodation drop-off is at the southwest entrance of Bailey Field. There will be signage posted and staff available to those in need of assistance.
INCLEMENT WEATHER PLAN
In the event of inclement weather, the Graduation Ceremony will take place as planned. Guests, faculty, administrators, and students should dress appropriately for any weather (umbrellas for rain or sun protection).
STADIUM SEATING, BALLOON BOUQUETS, LARGE SIGNS, & AIRHORNS
Due to the close proximity of other guests in the stadium seating area, please leave balloon bouquets at home or in the car until after the ceremony. Signs, banners, and flags are not permitted in the stadium. If these items make it into the stadium, please be prepared for stadium monitors/staff to ask you to remove them to avoid disruption of other guests. Air horns are not allowed in the stadium as they can be harmful to guests and guide animals. Any hateful, derogatory, or profane language or any disruptive behavior is not allowed. Please be respectful of everyone in attendance and follow the guidance of the graduation staff.
LOCATION, DIRECTIONS, AND PARKING MAP:
Directions From the north:
Travel south on Hwy 101. Exit at College Avenue. At the traffic light, make a left turn onto College Avenue. Proceed eastbound on College Avenue to Mendocino Avenue. Turn left on Mendocino Avenue. At Pacific Avenue, turn left into the SRJC parking lot.
Directions From the south:
Travel north on Hwy 101. Exit at College Avenue. At the traffic light, make a right turn onto College Avenue. Proceed eastbound on College Avenue to Mendocino Avenue. Turn left on Mendocino Avenue. At Pacific Avenue, turn left and turn into the SRJC parking lot.
There are alternate parking areas available at Emeritus Student Parking and Bech Parking. All campus parking lots are open and free during Commencement activities.
PDF map of Santa Rosa campus and event parking.
Questions or comments about this page may be directed to: jbarrett@santarosa.edu.