Congratulations, CGCC Graduate!

Applying to graduate from CGCC with your certificate or degree is not the same as attending or RSVPing to the Commencement ceremony. Participating in the Commencement ceremony does not guarantee that you have fulfilled all the graduation requirements and your diploma, if eligible, will be mailed to you after grades have been processed and the college has confirmed that all requirements have been met.

No, at CGCC final grades are not posted and transcripts are not evaluated until AFTER the graduation ceremonies. So, what does that mean? It means you should apply to graduate, RSVP when you receive the email in April and look for official notification of your graduation status via your Maricopa Student Email. Please allow 8–10 weeks after the end of the semester to receive this notification. 

Submitting your RSVP will not impact or delay the final review of your graduation eligibility.

This is the ceremony for you! CGCC only hosts commencement ceremonies once a year in May. If you applied and were approved to graduate in Summer/Fall 2025 you are eligible to attend, you will receive an email from [email protected] the week of April 6, 2026. If you are graduating at the end of this summer you are eligible to attend but please note attending the ceremony does not guarantee you will graduate and receive a diploma, you still need to complete your coursework and apply to formally graduate. Please email [email protected] so we can check on capacity.

Diplomas for your earned degree and certificate will be mailed to your address on record once grades have been processed and the college has confirmed that all requirements have been met. You will NOT receive your actual diploma at the ceremony and participating in the ceremony does not guarantee or signify that you officially graduate. Digital diplomas are available as well starting in May 2026.

Graduates are encouraged to park on the west side of campus, from the Emmett Drive entrance and park in Parking Lot 9 and Lot 10 as it offers easier access to the graduate check-in and graduate staging area.

• Be prepared by knowing your ceremony time.
• Parking lots and doors will be open 1 hour prior to the start of each ceremony.
• Please allow plenty of time to get to campus and expect heavy traffic on and around the campus starting at 8 am.
• Please reference the commencement map for the locations of graduate parking.
• Follow the posted A-frames and staff for directions to reach your designated area.
• If graduates are carpooling with their guests, it is recommended for them to be dropped off on the west side of campus near the Agave Hall building. We suggest that your guests move to the East side of campus afterward for easier access to the venue.

Graduate check in begins 1 hour prior to the ceremony on the west side of campus, northside of the Agave Hall Building.

• At Check-In you will:
  
  • Receive a unique CGCC tassel to decorate your graduation cap.
  • Get a stage card featuring your name and degree, which helps us identify who is crossing the stage! If you RSVP’d after the deadline, your stage card will be blank, and you’ll need to fill it out yourself, so please allow enough time for this.
  • Find your contact information for GradImages on the back of the card, so ensure that your details are accurate.

  • Pose for a formal photo with GradImages while wearing your cap and gown, alongside a diploma cover.

     

• Check-In Instructions: 
  • First, locate the tables labeled from A to Z to check in using your name. 
  • If you are member of either the Honors or Veterans group, please take a moment to visit their tables to collect your Honors cords and any applicable stoles. 

After Graduate Check-In in graduates will walk themselves to the Agave Community Room where the graduate staging area is. Graduates are required to stay in the Agave Community Room until the commencement ceremony starts (no guests permitted). Feel free to use this area to relax, take photos or use the restroom. 

All graduates are required to wear a black cap and gown in order to participate in the commencement ceremony. The date to order and guarantee shipment by the ceremony date from the College's provider has passed. We recommend ordering from Amazon- just search for "graduation black cap and gown", CGCC will provide you with a tassel.

If you already ordered through Balfour, please contact them directly for updates. 

Decoration of graduation caps is allowed; however, please ensure that the designs are school-appropriate. No vulgar language, advertising or violation of our MCCCD policies. Don’t forget to check out the cap decorating events happening in May!

Ten minutes before the commencement ceremony begins, faculty and staff will escort you to the Coyote Gymnasium to commence the ceremony.

• You will enter the ceremony in two lines during the processional and take your seats in the gym.
• Key leaders and a student speaker(s) will share remarks during the event.
• As your name is called, you will walk across the stage.
• You will receive an empty diploma cover; your actual diploma will be issued later, as grades are not yet finalized.
• On stage, you will pose for a photo with your diploma cover while shaking hands with either the President of CGCC or the Chancellor of the Maricopa Community Colleges.
• Afterward, you will return to your seat, shift your tassel, and join in the celebration!
• We kindly ask that all graduates and their guests gather outside the Coyote Center at the conclusion of the ceremony, as the ceremony space will be closed for cleaning once it has been cleared.

GradImages will be taking photos during the ceremony and of each graduate. You can also access staged photos taken during the ceremony by GradImages. They will also reach out to you directly after the ceremony with your photos and options for ordering. 

There will also be photo stations available throughout the commencement ceremony for your enjoyment. 

Typically, the commencement ceremonies will last around 90 minutes.

Yes! You can watch each ceremony here! 

• 10 AM - Commencement YouTube Live Stream
• 2 PM - Commencement YouTube Live Stream
• 6 PM - Commencement YouTube Live Stream

After the event's conclusion, please visit https://www.youtube.com/@chandlergilbertcc to find your ceremony recording.

Guests are encouraged to park on the east side of the lot, specifically near S. Chandler Gilbert CC Rd, in Parking Lot 1 and Lot 2, as this allows for easier access to the Coyote Center Gymnasium. 

• Please consult the commencement map for information on guest parking locations.
• Our campus safety team in blue shirts will be rotating through parking lots on golf carts to assist with transportation to the venue if needed.
• If graduates are carpooling with their guests, it is advisable for graduates to be dropped off on the west side of the building near Agave Hall, while guests should proceed to the east side near the Coyote Gymnasium venue.

Tickets are not required for participate in or attend commencement. However, due to capacity limitations we ask that each graduate bring no more than 4 guests.

Those in need of special accommodations are invited to visit the “Guest Accommodations” booth located near the entrance of the Coyote Gymnasium or email, [email protected]. Your RSVP from [email protected] will ask you to specify needed accommodations also. Please email [email protected] with any questions.

• Parking for individuals with state-issued accessible (handicap) permits or plates will be available in Lot 1, 2, 9 and 10 and VIP parking on a first-come, first-served basis. Please ensure that your accessible permit or plate is clearly visible.
• If all accessible spaces in the parking lots area are filled, graduates/guests will be directed to the nearest available location.
• We will have staff in blue shirts patrolling the guest parking lots in golf carts to assist with heat and mobility challenges as needed.
• Please note: Wheelchairs will not be provided on-site. Guests anticipating difficulty walking to the CGCC Coyote Gymnasium should bring their own wheelchairs for ease and comfort.
• ASL interpreters will be at all of the ceremonies.
• A first aid station is available at the ceremony site as well as free water stations at several locations.

Please leave balloons, noisemakers, confetti and large signs/banners at home in order to maintain a safe and fun experience for all of our graduates and guests.

Strollers and wagons are not allowed in the ceremony area; a storage area will be provided for these items near the back of the Coyote Center Gymnasium.