May 2023 Undergraduate Graduation Ceremony

As you plan to celebrate graduation with family and friends, remember to make dinner, hotel and flight reservations as early as possible. With many students graduating at the same time, it can be difficult to find available local venues closer to graduation.

CU Boulder holds a commencement ceremony for all univerity graduates. This is scheduled for Thursday, May 11, at 8:30 a.m. at Folsom Field. Visit the university commencement page for more information on the campus ceremony.

Undergraduate students may purchase regalia from the CU Book Store either in-store or online. Shop the full selection of inventory in-store during CU Book Store hours. 

• Plan ahead in ordering so you have an opportunity to decorate your mortarboard and take celebratory photos. 
• The university commencement ceremony is an academic ceremony and all participants are required to wear traditional CU academic regalia. Other souvenir regalia items, diploma frames, announcements, college rings and grad gifts are available for purchase.
• For more information on academic dress, visit the Spring Grad Information page.

The Alumni Association’s Buffalo Legacy program honors students, parents and grandparents who share the bond of being Buffs. Learn more.

Please arrive by 6:00 p.m. on Thursday to allow time for seating and check in. The ceremony is approximately two hours long, please plan on attending the entire event. Wear your cap and gown upon arrival. Start with your tassel on the right side. Graduates are responsible for carrying any personal items they bring, as there are no accommodations for storage, so we recommend traveling light!

The Leeds School of Business has provided you with a digital yearbook to stay connected with each other and celebrate your accomplishments together beyond graduation. Please be on the lookout for our email coming soon to join the Class of 2023's digital page!

All Leeds graduates please enter the CU Events Center at the loading dock off of Regent drive. There will be signage and staff directing graduates into an indoor practice facility. Check-in tables will be all around the room, organized in alphabetical order by last name.  At check-in, graduates will receive a card with their name printed on it. Once they have picked up their card, (FYI: medals for: "high distinction" or "distinction" can be picked up at this table) and any other items given to you, the staff will direct all graduates to line-up near the southeast and southwest entrances of CU Events Center.

Graduates may line up in any order so that they can sit by their friends. During the ceremony, they will hand their name card to the ushers right before they walk across the stage. Volunteers will be there to help line everyone up and direct all graduates when and where to walk. Family and friends should be seated by 6:45 p.m. The procession will begin at 6:40 p.m.

Programs will be handed out by Leeds volunteers throughout the CU Events Center concourse as you enter through any of the doors.

All campus parking lots will be open on a "space available" basis for public parking during commencement.  Parking on-campus, including at parking meters and pay station lots, is free on the day of Commencement and on all Recognition Ceremony Days.

Full details including parking maps and instructions on recommended areas to park is available on the Parking Services webpage for Commencement
For ADA parking requests or for help finding the closest parking lot to your event, please contact Parking Services via email parkingevents@colorado.edu or phone 303-492-6551.

As you reflect back on your time at Leeds, you certainly recognize the ways your experience at CU Boulder has changed your life. Perhaps it shaped your character, built a foundation for lifelong learning or opened doors for career options and a bright future. As a member of the graduating class, you have the opportunity to make a difference for future students and support the place that means so much to you. Join us in carrying on the tradition of giving back to our community and leaving our mark on CU forever by donating to the Class Gift. To find out more, click here. 

To support effective security measures, the CU Events Center has strict limitations on bags and items that may be brought inside. To ensure your graduation celebration is hassle-free, Leeds recommends all ceremony attendees follow the requirements below. 

• One clear bag, no larger than 12” by 6” by 12”.
• A one-gallon sized clear freezer bag.
• Small clutch bags no larger than 4.5” by 6.5”.

A full list of permitted and prohibited bags and other items is available for download here.

Guests may sit anywhere that is not marked reserved, ADA/disability or graduate seating. All seating is first come, first served. 

If you would like to purchase flowers for your graduate, there will be a vendor on the upper level of the concourse (behind section 7 and 8 and 23 and 24).

Seating will be available and provided for all guests with disabilities. We will have volunteers ready to greet and escort you to the reserved seating sections, which are the first four rows of sections 19, 20, 21 and 22. If you are confined to a wheelchair, we have a reserved wheelchair section located on the main concourse, and your family will be able to sit directly behind you. If you are hearing impaired, contact leedsgraduation@colorado.edu to make arrangements. Please plan to arrive early to ensure you are seated prior to the ceremony starting. 

More information on the Graduate Graduation Ceremony can be found here. 

The CU Events Center court can seat approximately 600 graduates, if we exceed this many graduates and the seats on the floor fill up, the volunteer staff will have the remaining students sit in Section 15.

Our professional photographer (Grad Images) will take pictures of all graduates as they are presented with a diploma cover.

Grad Images will distribute contact cards to each student to fill out with their name, address and email. They will use this information to contact you after the ceremony to view and purchase your pictures.