2025 Commencement

Crown & Merrill College Commencement Ceremony

Date: Friday, June 13

Time: Ceremony begins at 5:00 PM

Location: East Field

Estimated Duration: 2 hours

Important Info for Graduates

• Arrival Time: Grads can start arriving by 3:45 PM
• Check in at the East Field House - Grad area only
• The guests should go to the seating area.

 Procession:

The academic procession of graduates and faculty begins at 4:45 PM.

Before You Line Up (4:00–4:30 PM):

• Use the restroom
• Stay hydrated
• Find your friends and form your seating group (10 people per group)
• Say hi to that one person you only saw on Zoom!

Line-Up Instructions:

• Staff will guide you to form two parallel lines:
  • Left Line: Crown
  • Right Line: Merrill
  • Non-affiliates - Either side 
• Make sure your tassel is on the right side of your cap.
• Each seating group includes 10 grads; each section has 60 grads total.

Ceremony Etiquette & Reminders

• Cheer for your Peers
• This is a formal academic ceremony. Please remain for the full duration.
• Graduation is an alcohol-free event.
• Wear sunscreen — the event is outdoors.
• Set a meeting spot with your family for after the ceremony.
• If you plan to toss your cap, remove the tassel first (the cap is yours to keep).

For more information, visit the UCSC Commencement page to stay up to date with information. 

PROHIBITED ITEMS: Pets (ADA service animals are allowed), Drones, Confetti, Noise-Makers, Balloons, Alcohol, Smoking, or Other Drugs. 

SUSTAINABILITY: UC Santa Cruz is deeply committed to sustainability and is striving to both reduce the amount of waste we generate, but also compost and recycle materials instead of sending them to landfills. For Commencement 2024, we're guiding to help support campus sustainability and zero waste goals.