With the spring commencement ceremony falling on June 14, Oregon State University students set to graduate may have remaining questions about the big day.

College of Liberal Arts career adviser Michelle Strowbridge shared the most crucial information for these graduates, drawing from years of experience coordinating this event, which is held at Reser Stadium.

Leading up to graduation, Strowbridge noted a sequence of important dates for collecting regalia necessary for the ceremony. April 15-17 marks the graduation fair at the OSU Beaver Store, where graduating students can order their gowns, caps, tassels, cords and stoles.

For students who miss the Beaver Store event, ordering online and picking up these necessary items at the store a week prior to the graduation ceremony is an option as well. 

However, Strowbridge also directed graduates to the commencement website, where they can find a link to the “Grads Give Back” student-led program. Through this site, students facing economic hardships can rent the regalia needed for commencement from alumni who donated their caps and gowns.

Under the students’ gown, Strowbridge said there are no clothing restrictions and highlighted that graduates have always been welcomed to decorate their caps to their liking.

Other personalizations have also included stoles and chords specific to different cultural and social identities that each student may feel proud to represent on their big day. 

Specific to this year, instead of registering for the ceremony as in previous years, students will be required to simply RSVP to the event by June 1. Strowbridge said this is crucial, considering that “OSU is one of the very few institutions that hands out your actual diploma at commencement.”

Although the official ceremony in Reser begins at 11 a.m., Strowbridge said students should head to their designated starting locations — specific to their college or academic program — by 9 a.m.

According to this year’s map outlining these various locations, the colleges of Engineering, Forestry, Business, Health and Liberal Arts should plan to meet in and around the Memorial Union quad, while Science, Agriculture and students receiving their master’s or Ph.D. certificates should meet at the Valley Library quad.

Strowbridge stressed that this hour-long process before the walk to Reser can be taxing, urging students to prepare by “putting on sunscreen and drinking water, because it is really easy to get dehydrated.”

During the process of organizing by academic program, each graduate will receive a commencement card. Strowbridge said that this card is the most important item to keep track of throughout the day.

The information on this card includes crucial instructions for receiving the correct diploma inside Reser, showing graduates where they are supposed to be, and also acts as the ticket for getting pictures taken.

The walk to the stadium will begin at 10 a.m., with students following a flag bearer for each college, as well as a group of bagpipe players. This ritual, called the processional, is described by Strowbridge as “one of the most magical walks you’ll probably ever take.”

Once the ceremony begins, each college will be celebrated as a collective, and students within those programs will line up to collect their certificates.

While the commencement ceremony is special in its own regard, Strowbridge encouraged students to check for emails specific to their program, saying their “individual programs, colleges or departments probably have a ceremony as well, or some sort of event that is more personalized.” 

Due to the high volume of people traveling to Corvallis for the commencement ceremony, Strowbridge advised family members and supporters of graduates to “pay attention to how difficult it is to come into town.”

She highlighted that being mindful of parking challenges, potential delays in cell reception, and referencing the Reser Stadium seating chart to find the section most aligned with the graduate’s program will be valuable for parents attending this public and free event.

“Take a minute to take it all in. You will never have that experience again, and it really is a magical experience to have,” Strowbridge said.