Claremont Graduate University’s
96th Commencement Ceremony
Emergence and Adaptation: Re-imagining in a New Light & Having New Eyes
Saturday, May 13, 2023, at 9:00 am (Pacific Time)
Great news! Claremont Graduate University is happy to announce CGU’s 96th annual commencement ceremony plans. The celebration will be a tremendous on-the-ground event.
Ceremony Information
Date: Saturday, May 13, 2023
Time: 9:00 am
Location: Mudd Quadrangle
Address: 170 E. 10th Street, Claremont, CA 91711
Honorary Degree Recipient and Keynote Speaker
Aldon Morris
Leon Forrest Professor Emeritus of Sociology and African American Studies
Northwestern University
Student Speaker
Holly Eva Allen
MA in English with a concentration in American Studies
President of the Queer Graduate Union, intern in the Disability Studies division of the University of Michigan’s 1Cademy education project, and former secretary for the GSC
Alumni Board Speaker
Liron Marks
PhD in Organizational Behavior, 2016
Vice President of the CGU Alumni Association Board, Human Resources Director of Berg Mill Supply, USA and Classic Fibres, International, and SHRM-CP
Event Livestream and Photography
The CGU ceremony will be simulcast in Albrecht Auditorium and livestreamed online.
Commencement Live Stream Recording
General Information
CGU will not require tickets for this year’s ceremony. Graduates will be asked to indicate how many guests they anticipate in attendance. Please, check with your graduate to see if they can accommodate you among their guests.
The drop-off location for graduates and other guests is at the corner of College Avenue and 10th Street. Uber and Lyft should be given this location as well. (Handicapped drop-off is at the intersection of Dartmouth Avenue and 10th Street and should be accessed with the permission of a street attendant at the corner of College Avenue and 10th Street.)
Guests may attend at the invitation of the graduates. Graduates will sit in the middle section; guest seating is designated for the east and west sections. Guests are asked to find a seat and keep the aisles clear, enabling the graduates and platform party to proceed to their seats.
Children are to be seated in the audience and not among the candidates. Those guests bringing strollers are asked to park them outside the tent, thus keeping the aisles clear.
We ask that guests refrain from bringing balloons or other items that might obstruct the pathways or other guests’ view of the stage.
For the safety of the graduates and guests, please keep the aisles clear. There will be a designated stroller parking area. GradImages, a professional photography studio, will take photos of all graduates as they ascend the stage and receive their diplomas. The company will make the photographs available to graduates in the days following the ceremony. For this reason, and for the safety of the graduates and all attendees, we ask guests to remain in their seats during the ceremony. Please do not approach the stage to take your own photos. There will be ample opportunity before and after the ceremony to take photos with the graduates on campus.
The ceremony and several of the receptions take place outdoors and on lawn. Please consider your safety when considering footwear appropriate to the occasion.
We ask that guests refrain from bringing balloons or other items that might obstruct the pathways or other guests’ view of the stage.
CGU follows Los Angeles County COVID-19 guidelines. While L.A. County does not currently require masks, we strongly recommend wearing a mask due to the large number of participants and guests at the ceremony.
GradImages, a professional photography studio, will take photos of all graduates as they ascend the stage and receive their diplomas. The company will make the photographs available to graduates (and their families) in the days following the ceremony. For this reason, and for the safety of the graduates and all attendees, we ask that guests remain in their seats during the ceremony. Please do not approach the stage to take your own photos. Before and after the ceremony, there will be ample opportunity before and after the ceremony to take photos with the graduates on campus.
Flowers, orchid leis, and other gift items will be available for purchase on-site or you can pre-order your gifts in advance here. On the day of Commencement, you may pick up your flowers and other gifts at the welcome area on the corner of North Dartmouth Avenue and East 10th Street.
Would you like to order a beautiful wood frame customized especially for CGU diplomas? Church Hill Classics offers a 10% discount for CGU customers on their elegant frames. Order a custom CGU diploma frame for your graduate today.
Getting Here
Claremont Graduate University
150 E. 10th Street
Claremont, CA 91711
The commencement ceremony site is on the southeast corner of 10th Street and Dartmouth Avenue.
From the 10 Freeway East (Los Angeles/LAX)
- Exit Indian Hill Blvd. and head north
- Turn right on W. Arrow Hwy. (0.2 miles)
- Turn left on College Ave. (0.9 miles)
- Turn right on E. 10th St.
From the 10 Freeway West (Palm Springs/Ontario Airport)
- Exit Indian Hill Blvd. and head north
- Turn right on W. Arrow Hwy. (0.2 miles)
- Turn left on College Ave. (0.9 miles)
- Turn right on E. 10th St.
From the 210 Freeway East
- Exit Towne Ave.
- Turn right on Towne Ave. (0.9 miles)
- Turn left on Foothill Blvd. (1.4 miles)
- Turn right on Dartmouth Ave.
- Turn right on E. 10th St.
From the 210 Freeway West
- Exit Baseline Rd.
- Turn right on Baseline Rd. (0.7 miles)
- Turn left on N. Mills Ave (1.0 miles)
- Turn right on Foothill Blvd (0.3 miles)
- Turn left on Dartmouth Ave.
- Turn right on E. 10th St.
Claremont Graduate University is approximately 10 miles from Ontario International Airport and 60 miles from Los Angeles International Airport.
Guests of degree candidates are strongly advised to make their hotel reservations as early as possible. Claremont Graduate University neither recommends nor endorses any facilities.
Parking
Campus parking is limited. Plan on parking in the surrounding neighborhoods. Do not block driveways. Call a rideshare service such as Uber or Lyft if you need assistance getting from your parking spot to campus. There are special street closures in place for Commencement. View the map for drop-off and parking locations. Limited handicapped parking is available at the McAllister Parking Lot at the corner of Columbia Avenue and 10th Street. Also, along Dartmouth Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets (enter at College Avenue and 10th Street). Valid handicapped placard required.
- Low-mobility drop-offs are allowed at the corner of 10th Street and Dartmouth Avenue until 8:45 am.
- Graduate or general drop-off is available at the corner of 10th Street and College Avenue.
- Convenient Uber and Lyft drop-off and pickup location is at the corner of 10th Street and College Avenue.
Parking is available on public streets and in the following campus parking lots:
- Between College and Dartmouth/11th and 12th streets
- West of the Burkle Family Building on 11th Street
- SE corner of Dartmouth and 11th Street
- SW corner of Columbia and 10th Street (access from 11th Street and Columbia)
- Eighth Street between College and Dartmouth
- Dartmouth Avenue between 8th Street and 11th Streets.
- 10th Street between College and Columbia Avenues.
Post-Ceremony Receptions
Following the ceremony, graduates and their families are invited to a reception at the graduate’s school. For reception location information, see the campus map in the program.
Information for Graduates
For information about participation, regalia, deadlines, and more, visit the Graduates Commencement page.
FAQ
There is no dress code, but it is a special day for so many people. We suggest business casual attire.
We are celebrating the Summer/Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 graduates.
Summer 2023 degree candidates who have been approved to participate in the Commencement Ceremony will also be celebrated.
CGU follows Los Angeles County COVID-19 guidelines. While L.A. County does not currently require masks, we strongly recommend wearing a mask due to the large number of participants and guests at the ceremony.
Some, but not all, receptions will be held indoors.
No proof of vaccination will be required at the ceremonies. We ask that you observe safe health practices and respect the safety of your fellow guests.
CGU will not require tickets for this year’s ceremony. Graduates will be asked to indicate how many guests they anticipate in attendance.