2024 Commencement Information
Important Graduation Application Deadlines
- March 31, 2024: Deadline to ensure graduate's name will appear in the Commencement program
- April 12, 2024: Deadline for graduate to participate in the Commencement ceremony
If you do not apply for graduation on or before March 31, 2024, your name will not appear in the Commencement program. If you do not apply for graduation on or before April 12, 2024, you will not be able to participate in the Commencement ceremony.
Graduates will receive a separate email from studentdevelopment@ccp.edu inviting you to login to our RSVP website to confirm your participation in the ceremony, provide your preferred name for the display screen on the jumbotron, and provide/review/record the phonetic pronunciation of your name so we get it right when you cross the stage to receive your diploma. All of this will be done through our MarchingOrder website, our external partner for Commencement. Please complete these steps by the April 12 deadline in order to participate in the 2024 Commencement ceremony.
Table of Contents
Pre-commencement Activities
- Career Connections' Grad Week
- Graduation Fair
- Invitation Only Graduation Activities
- Caps and Gowns (Regalia)
- Commencement Announcements
- Name Cards
- Honor Societies:
- Veterans Honor Cords
- Financial Aid Exit Interview
Commencement
- Security
- Enjoy Your Special Day
- The Ceremony
- Directions and Parking
- Proper Decorum
- Proper Attire
- Persons with Disabilities
- Family Members, Guests and Children
- Student Assembly and Procession
- Commencement Photographs
- Graduation Dates
Post-commencement
Alumni Association
Career Connections
Questions and Contact Information
Pre-commencement Activities
Spring Career Expo Countdown Craze
April 8 through 15
Join Career Connections for a special five-day event to get you fully prepared for the upcoming career expo. It's designed to help you brush up on essential skills and knowledge that can make a big difference in your career journey:
- Monday, April 8, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Bonnell Lobby, Room BG-24
- Tuesday, April 9, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Winnet Student Life Building
- Wednesday, April 10, 12 to 3 p.m., Pavilion Lobby
- Thursday, April 11, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Rise. And Shine. Block Party
- Monday, April 15, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Bonnell Lobby, Room BG-24
Each day will feature food, giveaways and fun learning experiences as you arm yourself with the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to succeed at the career expo and beyond.
Springing Towards Success Career Expo
Tuesday and Wednesday, April 16-17, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Bonnell Lobby
Gain access to career and professional development information and activities to ensure you have the skills you need to prepare for job searching, interviewing, and beyond. Participate in one or all of the following events hosted by Career Connections:
- We'll be hosting 18 top companies each day, all ready to hire YOU from CCP! Employers include Penn Medicine, Amtrak, the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania!
- Check out the Career Exploration Zone, where you can try different activities, like exploring volunteering opportunities at the volunteer station, figuring out what careers you're interested in at the interest assessment station, and experience a day on the job in virtual reality
- We'll have food, games, and giveaways too!
Mark your calendars, tell your friends, and get ready to spring towards success with us at the Career Expo of the year:
Graduation Fair
Tuesday and Wednesday, April 23-24 | Main Campus, Pavilion Building, Bookstore
The Graduation Fair is the first opportunity for the Fall/Winter graduates and Spring/Summer potential graduates to pick-up their caps, gowns, tassels and honor cords (if eligible). Graduates do not pre-order regalia. Students will also receive six (6) complimentary announcements with envelopes and reader cards to be brought to the ceremony. Announcements are not tickets and are not needed to enter the ceremony. At the Fair you can meet representatives from Career Connections, the Alumni Association, Financial Aid, Single Stop and more.
Graduation Fair Highlights
- First 50 people to come into the Bookstore get an exclusive doorbuster gift!
- Enter the raffle for your chance to win a grand prize valued up to $150!
- Special in-store discounts on April 23-24 for featured graduation merchandise and selected apparel items.
Invitation Only Graduation Activities
The following events are invitation only, you will be notified by your Community College of Philadelphia email if you are eligible.
Student Leadership Recognition Reception on the Lawn
April 17, 2024
2:30 to 4 p.m.
Winnet Courtyard
First-Gen Graduates Celebration
April 24, 2024
11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Pavilion Building, Klein Cube, Room P2-3
Latinx Student Graduation Ceremony
April 24, 2024
1 to 3 p.m.
Winnet Student Life Building, Great Hall, Room S2-19
Medical Laboratory Technician Pinning Ceremony
April 26, 2024
12 to 3 p.m.
Center for Business and Industry, Room C2-28
Catto Graduation Ceremony & Reception
April 29, 2024
5 to 7 p.m.
Winnet Student Life Building, Great Hall, Room S2-19
Single Stop Graduation
May 2, 2024
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Winnet Student Life Building, Great Hall, Room S2-19
Nurses Pinning Ceremony
May 3, 2024
10 a.m.
Athletics Center
Academic Awards Ceremony
May 3, 2024
4 to 6 p.m.
Bonnell Building, Large Auditorium, Room BG-20
Caps and Gowns (Regalia)
Your cap, gown, tassels (and honor cords, if eligible) are mementos of the Ceremony and are yours to keep. You will have the first opportunity to pick up your regalia at one of the Graduation Fair events on Main Campus in the Pavilion Building Bookstore on the following dates:
- Tuesday, April 23
- Wednesday, April 24
If you are unable to attend one of the Graduation Fair events, caps and gowns must be picked up at Main Campus in the Pavilion Building Bookstore between Thursday, April 25 and Friday, May 3. The Bookstore hours are Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you cannot pick up your regalia during normal business hours, please call 215-751-8152 or email 2198mgr@follett.com to make arrangements for regalia to be shipped
Commencement Announcements
Announcements are not tickets and are not needed to enter the ceremony. When picking up regalia from the Bookstore, graduates will receive six (6) announcements with envelopes to send to your family and friends.
Name Cards
You will be given one (1) name card to participate in the graduation ceremony. The card will be given to the College announcer who will read student names during the ceremony. Please bring the name card with you on Commencement day.
Honor Societies
Students who are members of College-sponsored honor societies may purchase Commencement regalia signifying membership. Honor cords and sashes or stoles from these honor societies are approved Commencement Ceremony regalia. Please note: Special tassels from these honor societies may be available for purchase but may not be worn at Commencement; only the College tassel may be worn. Also, students who are members of more than one honor society may only wear regalia from one society.
Phi Theta Kappa
Graduates who are members of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society may purchase Phi Theta Kappa regalia (sash and cord) through the Phi Theta Kappa website at www.ptk.org. Please note that tassels are also available for purchase through the website, but may NOT be worn during Commencement. Contact the Phi Theta Kappa chapter officers in Room S1-12 or the chapter faculty advisor, professor Diane Brisbon, at for more information.
Veterans Honor Cords
In recognition of your military service to the United States of America, Community College of Philadelphia would like to honor your graduation by authorizing you to wear red, white, and blue honor cords to your Commencement Ceremony. These cords may be worn in addition to any other honor cords that you may be eligible to wear. Veterans will need to bring a copy of their DD-214 to pick up a veteran cord. The veteran cords can be picked up with your regalia at the Main Campus Bookstore.
Financial Aid Exit Interview
Students who received a Federal Direct Loan are required to complete exit counseling when they cease to be enrolled for at least 6 credits or graduate. Please complete the exit counseling online. You will
need your FSA ID to access the session. Click here for the exit counseling instructions.
Commencement
Commencement will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at Temple University's Liacouras Center. Due to increased security measures at large public events, there will be an increased security presence at the 58th Commencement Exercises for Community College of Philadelphia:
- No backpacks or handbags will be allowed into the Liacouras Center
- No balloons are allowed in the Liacouras Center
- All bags are subject to search
- Gifts should NOT be brought into the Liacouras Center
Thank you for your understanding.
Enjoy Your Special Day
The 58th Commencement Ceremony for Community College of Philadelphia will be taped and rebroadcast on the College’s cable channel, CCPTV, Comcast Chanel 53 and FIOS Channel 21. Visit CCPTV online to locate programming information.
The Ceremony
The fifty-eighth Commencement exercise, recognizing the achievements of the students who have completed their degree requirements in fall 2023, and those who will be completing graduation requirements in spring and summer 2024, will take place on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at 10 a.m. at The Liacouras Center, 1776 North Broad Street. The ceremony is expected to last approximately three hours, and you are required to stay for the entire ceremony. Tickets are not required for attendance. Doors will be open to the public at 8:30 a.m.
Directions and Parking
Directions and parking information is available on the Liacouras Center website. Parking must be pre-paid through ParkMobile. Reserving your parking space for $28 through ParkMobile will guarantee you a space in the garage for the ceremony. When entering the garage, please have your ParkMobile QR code ready to scan.
ParkMobile allows you to make a reservation in the app or visit their website to reserve a parking space using the Liacouras Center ParkMobile page, where you can download the app. It can also be downloaded directly via the iPhone App Store or Google Play. The entrance to the Liacouras parking garage is on 15th Street, between Montgomery and Cecil B. Moore Avenue. Other parking options are available. Also, the Liacouras Center is located at the Cecil B. Moore station on the Broad Street Subway Line.
Proper Decorum
A Commencement ceremony is an occasion honoring important educational accomplishments held primarily for graduates and their families, an event worth celebrating. It is a formal affair that requires dignity and professionalism. Courtesy, attention and decorum are important and expected by you and your guests. If students arrive to Commencement intoxicated or dressed inappropriately, they will not be allowed to participate.
The ceremony is formal out of respect for the effort you have put into earning your degree. Your understanding and cooperation in keeping the ceremony formal and free of distractions; such as pranks, unwarranted behavior and vocal disruptions, will help make the event worthy of the time everyone has committed to its success.
The College maintains the proud tradition of announcing each graduate’s name. The last graduate is as important as the first. Once you have entered the main auditorium please:
- Remain seated until the student marshals signal you to proceed to the stage.
- After returning to your seat, you are expected to remain seated until the conclusion of the ceremony, marked by the recessional.
- If you should need to leave your seat, please notify one of the student marshals or ushers for assistance.
- All mobile phones are to be turned off once the ceremony begins.
- Do not use mobile phones and devices during the ceremony.
Proper Attire
All students must be dressed in business casual attire or better and prepared for this occasion.
Suggested Attire for Men: Dress pants and shirts, tie is optional; dress shoes and socks; no sandals.
Suggested Attire for Women: Business casual dress or pants, cool fabric; low heel or flat shoes; no corsages or jewelry on the gown.
It is required that each graduate come to Commencement already robed in the appropriate attire and regalia. You are permitted to carry only your name card.
Approved Commencement dress consists of your black robe, black mortarboard (cap) and gold tassel (and any eligible honor cords).
Caps should be placed on the head so that the mortarboard is level. This would place the crown approximately one inch above the eyebrows. Caps should not be tilted to the back or side of the head.
Tassels should be worn on the right side of the cap hanging naturally over the right temple. Only one tassel may be worn. The tassel is switched from right to left in unison—on cue—when the President formally confers degrees on the graduating class. This act symbolizes each graduate’s new and well-earned status.
Allowable gown adornments include Phi Theta Kappa, Alpha Beta Gamma, Delta Psi Omega or Veterans regalia and honors cords only.
All other ornamentation is not permitted, including but not limited to signs on the top of mortarboards, buttons, corsages, ethnic sashes and ribbons, etc., and are considered extraneous. You will be required to remove these items. No sorority/fraternity scarves or other accessories may be worn.
You will not be permitted to carry anything; such as, balloons, flowers, food, handbags, etc. Please be prepared to leave these items with a family member or friend. You will not be able to leave items behind in the Student Assembly Area.
Persons with Disabilities
The Liacouras Center is fully compliant with all ADA accessibility guidelines. Additionally, Community College of Philadelphia is furnishing sign language interpreters and closed captioning services to provide communication access to the Commencement ceremony.
Guests requiring seating near the sign language interpreters should identify themselves to the Liacouras Center staff, and they will direct you and your accompanying guest to your seat. There will also be designated seating areas for guests who require consideration due to mobility concerns. Up to three family members who accompany guests with mobility considerations may sit with them in the designated seating area. All other guests will need to find other seating in the main auditorium. The Liacouras Center staff will be available to direct guests to designated seating areas.
Graduates who require accommodations to participate in Commencement or who require ramp access to the ceremony stage should contact the Center on Disability at 215.751.8050 or cod@ccp.edu as soon as possible.
Family Members, Guests and Children
During the recessional, please ask your guests to remain at their seats until all graduates have exited the Center.
- Family and guests will not be permitted to enter the Student Assembly area. If you wish to leave your belongings with them, do so before you enter the area.
- Children will not be allowed to sit or walk across the stage with graduates. Please make arrangements for their care during the ceremony. Remember, because of fire regulations, even young children must be seated individually. Do not leave young children unattended.
- Please note: Balloons are not allowed in the Liacouras Center.
Student Assembly and Procession
Graduates must arrive at the Liacouras Center at 9 a.m. and enter through the Loading Dock (alongside the building to the left of the main entrance on Broad Street). Once checked in, you will immediately be seated and wait for the ceremony to begin; there will not be a graduate or faculty processional.
Graduates participating in the ceremony must:
- Arrive no later than 9 a.m. to the loading dock for check-in
- Be fully robed in cap, gown and honor cords (if eligible)
- Bring your name card (provided with regalia)
- The ceremony will begin promptly at 10 a.m.
Commencement Photographs
Arrangements have been made with a professional photographer from GradImages to take photographs of you at the ceremony. Proofs of these pictures will be emailed to you. You should receive an email containing your proofs within two (2) weeks after the ceremony. You may decide if you wish to purchase pictures.
If you require any information about your pictures or do not receive your proofs, please visit the GradImages website or call 1.800.261.2576.
Graduation Dates
Graduation dates are determined by the term you complete all courses required for your degree and not the date you attend Commencement.
If you attend Commencement and have not completed all degree requirements, do not indicate that you are a graduate as the College will not certify completion until all requirements have been satisfied and your degree has been posted.
- Listing yourself as a graduate before you officially receive your degree may be considered fraudulent information.
- Graduates should use the following dates as graduation dates or expected graduation dates when completing employment or college applications rather than the Commencement date:
Fall 2023 – December 16, 2023
Winter 2024 – January 12, 2024
Spring 2024 - May 4, 2024
Early Summer 2024 – June 26, 2024
Late Summer 2024 – August 20, 2024
Post-commencement
Diploma Distribution
Students are graduated only after successful completion of all curriculum requirements. Participation in Commencement does not constitute evidence that you have graduated or that you will graduate.
Fall and Winter graduates (completed all course requirements) should have already received diplomas.
- Spring diplomas will be mailed no later than the end of June
- Summer diplomas will be mailed no later than the end of July and September
If diplomas are not received within the specified time, please contact the Graduation Evaluation Unit at grads@ccp.edu. Diplomas will not be issued to students with any financial holds. It is the student’s responsibility to check with Student Tuition Services, Financial Aid, the Library, and Athletics Offices to make sure all obligations have been satisfied.
Invitation Only Graduation Activities
The following events are invitation only, you will be notified by your Community College of Philadelphia email if you are eligible.
Gateway to College Graduation Luncheon
Thursday, June 13, 2024
5 to 7 p.m.
Winnet Student Life Building, The Great Hall, Room S2-19
KEYS Celebration
Thursday, June 20, 2024
12 to 2 p.m.
Pavilion Building, Klein Cube, Room P2-3
Dental Hygiene Pinning Ceremony
Thursday, June 20, 2024
6 to 8 p.m.
Winnet Student Life Building, The Great Hall, Room S2-19
Respiratory Care Technology Graduation
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
5 to 7 p.m.
Bonnell Building, Large Auditorium, Room BG-20
Diagnostic Medical Imaging Pinning Ceremony
Thursday, June 27, 2024
5 p.m.
Bonnell Building, Large Auditorium, Room BG-20
Alumni Association
Alumni Reception for the Class of 2024
Wednesday, May 8, 2024, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Library and Learning Commons, Absalom Jones Courtyard
The Community College of Philadelphia Alumni Association invites you to a special reception welcoming you as our newest graduates. Join us for music, appetizers, and drinks while meeting and mingling with alumni. This event is free for the Class of 2024. To attend, register at alumni.ccp.edu/2024grads by Monday, May 6, 2024.
Let's Stay Connected
We want to stay connected with you. Share your story with us, attend a College event, network with others in the College community, get reacquainted with fellow alumni, and take advantage of the many benefits and services available to you. An Alumni Association lifetime membership shows your support for Community College of Philadelphia. Membership entitles you to a host of benefits for a one-time membership fee of $50. Upon enrollment, alumni are provided with the College’s Alumni ID card.
Lifetime membership in the Alumni Association is open to all alumni who have obtained a credited certificate or associate’s degree, or to students who have completed 30 or more credit hours at the College.
BENEFITS OF BEING A LIFETIME MEMBER
- Library, Computer and Learning Lab Access
- Subscription to the alumni e-newsletter
- Exclusive access to special events
- Free professional workshops
- Third-party discounts
- Dental examinations and cleaning
- and much more!
Career Connections Department
Get CONNECTED to Our Services for students and alumni:
- Résumé and cover letter assistance
- Daily walk-in hours
- Individual appointments available
- Employer and industry events
- Job search strategies plan preparation
- Online career resources
- On-campus recruitment and career fairs with local, regional and National employers
- Guidance for career changes or seeking new employment opportunities
Career Connections Online Resources
- We help you research your career options early and optimize your course of study using expert Pathway coordinators and online tools like Pathful Explore.
- We find employers all around the city and bring them to you through our job database Handshake, and on campus at our Job fairs and Hot Job events.
- We help you perfect your resume and interview skills with workshops, walk in hours, online prep tools like Big interview.
Career Connections Department
Center for Business and Industry, Rm C1-34
Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Contact us: 215-496-6176 or careerconnections@ccp.edu
Questions and Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding the ceremony, please contact studentdevelopment@ccp.edu. For regalia-related questions, contact the Bookstore at 215-751-8152 or 2198mgr@follett.com. For all other graduation-related inquiries (including application and eligibility), contact grads@ccp.edu. If you need to request special accommodations for yourself or your guests due to a documented disability, contact the Center on Disability at cod@ccp.edu. Congratulations! We're looking forward to celebrating with you. Go #CCPLions!