Butte College Commencement Ceremony
At the conclusion of the spring semester, Butte College hosts a commencement ceremony
for the year's graduates and graduate candidates.
Our ceremony for the 2024-25 academic year will be held on the football field at the
John B. Cowan Sports Complex at Butte College on
Friday, May 30, 2025, at 7pm.
To view the live stream of past ceremonies scroll down to the Past Ceremonies section.
If you believe you are eligible for graduation, you need to meet with a counselor
for a full review of your degree requirements and to complete an Application for Graduation
no later than the dates below.
Spring 2025: TBA
Summer 2025: TBA *To be eligible to participate in Commencement 2025.
Information on how to schedule your appointment can be found here.
Graduates (students who graduated in Summer 2024, Fall 2024, and Winter 2025) and
graduate candidates (students who have an approved graduation application on file
for Spring 2025 or Summer 2025) must register to participate in commencement.
Registration will open: TBA (Spring 2025).
The deadline to RSVP for Commencement is: TBA (Spring 2025).
Please email commencement@big5vn.com if you have questions.
Graduates and graduate candidates should arrive in their caps and gowns and check
in between 5:00pm and 6:00pm on Friday, May 24. Check-in tables will be located at
the entrance to the John B. Cowan Sports Complex/Football Field. Everyone participating
in the ceremony MUST check in.
It is recommended that guests arrive by 6:15pm in order to help reduce traffic congestion.
Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis in the bleachers on both sides of the
football field. Guests may also sit on the hillside on either side of the bleachers.
Accessible seating for guests will be available on both sides of the stadium on the
track. One person may accompany a guest who requires accessible seating.
Guest parking is available in public parking lot 1, public parking lot 2 (Welding
& Manufacturing Building parking lot), and public parking lot 3. Accessible parking
closest to the football field is located in public parking lot 1.
Public parking lot 4 is the overflow parking area.
Directions to our campus and a campus map can be found here. A map showing commencement locations can be found here.
Graduates/graduate candidates who need accommodations, including mobility assistance, should indicate so when they register for commencement between April 17 and May 15 using the link sent to the Butte student email addresses of eligible students (On April 17). If you need to provide additional information or have questions/concerns about event accessibility, please email commencement@big5vn.com.
An American Sign Language interpreter will be on the stage for the ceremony. Guests may access the streaming closed caption service for commencement at: BC_Commencement_2024 : Real Time Text (streamtext.net). The livestream video with captions will be available at dcsn.big5vn.com/stream.
Accessible parking closest to the football field is located in public parking lot
1.
Accessible seating for guests will be available on both sides of the stadium on the
track. One person may accompany a guest who requires accessible seating.
If you have questions or concerns about event accessibility, please email commencemement@big5vn.com.
Student regalia (gowns, caps, and tassels) is mandatory for all students who wish
to participate in the commencement ceremony. Regalia will be available for purchase
starting April 15, 2024 through May 24, 2024 from the Butte College Bookstore. The cost to purchase student regalia is $38.99, plus tax. Purchases can be made
in store or online. Shipping is available for an additional cost.
- Honor cords will be provided free of charge to graduates and graduate candidates who have met the requirement of a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. The bookstore will have a list of students who have achieved this honor. An honor cord may be included with regalia orders, if applicable.
- If you are an EOPS graduate or graduate candidate and wish to order student regalia, please contact the EOPS office at eops@big5vn.com to place your order.
- If you are an Inspiring Scholars graduate or graduate candidate and wish to order student regalia, please contact Susan Roberts at robertssu@big5vn.com to place your order.
- If you are a Rising Scholars graduate or graduate candidate and wish to order student regalia, please contact Jocelyn Thorp at thorpjo@big5vn.com to place your order.
- Phi Theta Kappa Honors Stoles - Available for purchase online through the Phi Theta Kappa store. Please remember to place your online order early to anticipate shipping time.
- Veterans Stoles - If you are a Student Veteran graduate or graduate candidate and wish to order student regalia, please contact Troy Davenport at davenporttr@big5vn.com to place your order at no cost.
- Associated Students Executive Board Officers Cords - Please contact Jolie Cole-Barrett at colebarrettjo@big5vn.com for more information.
- International Students Stoles - Please contact Rachel Wood at woodra@big5vn.com for more information.
- LGBTQIA2S+ Students Stoles - Please contact bonnerro@big5vn.com for more information.
- NSNA/CNSA Cords - Please contact Lynda Gomes at gomesly@big5vn.com for more information.
- Transfer Academy Stoles - Please contact Transfer Counseling at transfercounseling@big5vn.com for more information.
- TRIO SSS Stoles - Please contact Yolanda Salazar-Garcia at salazargarciayo@big5vn.com for more information.
- Cross-Enrollment Cords - Please contact Transfer Counseling at transfercounseling@big5vn.com for more information.
- First Generation Students - Please contact Tray Robinson at firstgen@big5vn.com for more information.
General Regalia and Attire Information:
- Traditionally, tassels are on the right-hand side of the cap for a commencement ceremony.
- Embellishing commencement attire in personally significant ways such as wearing sashes that represent one’s identity or cultural heritage is welcome.
- Caps may be decorated - all decorations must be appropriate and respectful for the occasion.
- Because the processional and ceremony will be on the football field, all should be cautious about footwear.
- Will a photographer take graduates' photos?
--Yes, photographers from GradImages will take photos of graduates before they cross the stage and again when they receive their scrolls from the college president. GradImages will contact you about purchasing your photos after commencement. If you register before commencement day, you can receive a coupon for 20% off your purchase of $50 or more. Visit www.gradimages.com/registration for more information. - May I invite Butte College faculty or staff members to celebrate with me at commencement?
--If you'd like to invite Butte College faculty or staff members to join you at the post-commencement reception, print the Celebrate with Me Invitation and follow the instructions. For best results, be sure to print it landscape orientation and two-sided (flipped on the short edge). - Will there be flowers for sale at Commencement?
--Yes, Butte College's UndocuCenter will be selling flowers just outside the stadium entrance at Commencement.
The 2024 Commencement ceremony video can be viewed here. The 2024 Commencement program is available here.
The 2023 Commencement ceremony video can be viewed here. The 2023 Commencement program is available here.
The 2022 Commencement ceremony video can be viewed here. The 2022 Commencement short program and long program are available for download and printing.
Questions concerning commencement can be directed to Commencement@Butte.edu.
Diplomas for Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 graduate candidates will be mailed approximately 8 to 12 weeks after the conclusion of the Spring or Summer term, depending on term of graduation.