When to arrive, where to park, and so much more. You’ve got questions and we’ve got answers. Get ready to graduate!

When should I arrive? Where will commencement be held?

We’re looking forward to welcoming you to the commencement ceremony, which begins promptly at 2 p.m., Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the Hogan Center, Art Smith Arena.

General seating: Doors open at 1 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-served. The general seating entrance is at the east-facing end of the Hogan Center.

Accessible seating: If you or one of your guests requires accessibility accommodations, please submit an accommodation request form by 5 p.m. April 10, 2026; this form will be made available at a later date. Each request will be reviewed, and a response will be emailed back from our commencement email, commencement@alma.edu, which will include day-of instructions, as well as the number of members from your party that may accompany you or your guest in the accommodated seating section. To ensure all guests can fully participate in the commencement ceremony, we ask that you submit a separate request form for each guest requiring accommodations.

Where are these places located?

We have a number of campus maps available online.

Where can I park?

Accessible parking is available in the monitored lot behind the Heritage/Hogan buildings. This lot opens up at 11 a.m.

General parking is available in the monitored lot of Heritage/Hogan building, as well as in the lots to the north and east, near the railroad tracks. This map shows parking lots and accessible routes. Parking is free at Alma College and on city streets.

Can graduates decorate their mortarboards?

Candidates may personalize their mortarboard under the following provisions: No derogatory, indecent, profane images or words are allowed on mortarboards. Anything deemed offensive will not be tolerated and candidates will be asked to remove their mortarboard. All other adornments and ornamentation including pins, flowers, necklaces, flags, brooches, etc. are not permitted. Graduates will be asked to remove any such adornments prior to entering the arena.

How can I access my tickets?

Tickets will be sent directly to graduates’ Alma email addresses on Friday, March 6, 2026.

Each graduate is allotted a designated number of complementary commencement tickets. The exact number will be confirmed at a later date; additional tickets are not available for purchase.

If you don’t plan to use all your allotted tickets, we encourage you to connect with fellow graduates who may need them. Sharing tickets is allowed, as long as both parties agree on the quantity and usage. Please note each ticket contains a unique QR code, and it can only be scanned once.

Can I purchase photos? Can I purchase flowers?

Graduating students may register for professional commencement photos. A registration link will be provided soon.

There are flower shops in the city of Alma that will be open prior to the commencement ceremony beginning. The college does not sell flowers.

How long does the ceremony last?

Commencement typically runs about two hours. Following the ceremony, staff will lead graduates out as they pass through the faculty gauntlet.

Who is the commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient? Who is the student speaker?

Speakers will be announced in weeks leading up to commencement.