Information for Guests
Lewis & Clark Graduate School Commencement
Sunday, June 1, 2025
Version 04/01/2025. This page will be updated as needed prior to the ceremony.
Requesting Accommodations (Deadline: Friday, May 23, 2025)
Special seating sections will be reserved for guests who have requested accessibility accommodations or ASL interpretation. Details are linked here; the deadline for guests to request accommodation is Friday, May 23, 2025.
Service Animals
Service animals are welcome at the ceremony and reception. See Lewis & Clark’s Service and Assistance Animal Policy for additional information. Family pets are not allowed inside campus buildings.
- Tickets are not required for general admission bleacher seating.
- Bleacher seating in Pamplin Sports Center Gym for the commencement ceremony is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Special seating sections will be reserved for guests who have requested accessibility accommodations or ASL interpretation. Details are linked here; the deadline for guests to request accommodation is Friday, May 23, 2025.
- Lewis & Clark Graduate School’s 2025 commencement ceremony will be streamed, linked here, starting at 9:45 a.m. PDT.
by 9:30 a.m. PDT — Arrival
- We encourage guests to arrive to campus by 9:30 a.m. PDT in order to ensure enough time to find parking, walk to Pamplin Sports Center Gym, and to find seating.
- Campus Map with Shuttle Routes (TBD)
- The campus pathways and parking lots consist of a variety of different materials such as asphalt, cobblestones, and pavers. There are also steep inclines/declines between the parking lots, Pamplin Sports Center Gym, and the Graduate Campus.
- General parking is available inside Gates 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8.
- Shuttle service (map TBD) is available to the parking lots inside Gates 2, 4, 5, and 6, and Pamplin Gym from 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. PDT. (Shuttle service ends at 2:00 p.m. PDT.)
- Reception Shuttle Stop: The Gate 6 shuttle stop is the drop-off and pick-up point for the after-reception on the Graduate Campus. Guests and graduates may also walk from Pamplin Gym to the Graduate Campus for the reception.
- Parking inside Gate 7 on the Graduate Campus is reserved for those who have requested accessibility accommodations (West Parking Loop), the food trucks for the reception, and graduate school faculty and staff participating in the event (East Parking Loop).
9:50 a.m. PDT — Processional
10:00 a.m. PDT — Commencement Ceremony
Mid-ceremony — Conferring of Degrees and the Hooding Ceremony
- Professional photographers from GradImages will be capturing images of the graduates throughout the conferral of the degrees and the hooding ceremony.
Noon PDT Recessional (approximate time)
Noon - 1:30 p.m. PDT — After-Reception, Graduate Campus
- A complimentary or free reception featuring local food trucks including Churros Locos, Fifty Licks Ice Cream, Koi Fusion, Phat Cart, Rip City Grill, and The Whole Bowl will be held on the Graduate Campus immediately following the ceremony.
- In case of rain, the after-reception will remain on the Graduate Campus. Plentiful indoor space will be available in the South Chapel, York Commons, and York classrooms for all to enjoy their food. Live music with one of Portland’s finest DJs will be playing in York, as well.
- Shuttle service is available to the parking lots inside Gates 2, 5, and 6, and Pamplin Gym from 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. PDT. (Shuttle service ends at 2:00 p.m. PDT.)
- Reception Shuttle Stop: The Gate 6 shuttle stop is the drop-off and pick-up point for the after-reception on the Graduate Campus. Guests and graduates may also walk from Pamplin Gym to the Graduate Campus for the reception.
- Parking inside Gate 7 on the Graduate Campus is reserved for those who have requested mobility accommodations (West Parking Loop), the food trucks for the reception, and graduate school faculty and staff participating in the event (East Parking Loop).
- Reception ends at 1:30 p.m. PDT; shuttle service ends at 2:00 p.m. PDT.
Additional Amenities
Flowers and Floral Gifts
*Floral Sunshine, a local Portland small business, provides a variety of floral gifts available for pre-purchase for commencement. Please place your orders in advance to ensure your preferences, availability, and pre-order pricing. At commencement, you’ll be able to pick up your pre-ordered floral gifts. There will be a limited selection available for purchase at commencement while supplies last. (Be sure to follow the link provided for the Lewis & Clark Graduate School Commencement on June 1st.)
Order Flowers; Deadline May 16th
*NB: Lewis & Clark provides a link to these services as a courtesy and convenience to our graduates and guests but is not responsible for the service or product provided by the vendor.
L&C GSEC Swag
L&C Bookstore pop-up may be open throughout the ceremony at the Pamplin Gym information desk and after commencement at their Fowler Student Center location.