Frequently Asked Questions

Commencement is the ceremony celebrating a student’s expected conferral of degree. Also know as a graduation ceremony. Participation in the ceremony does not equate to degree conferral. Additional information regarding degree conferral can be found in the college catalog at https://catalog.ithaca.edu/undergrad/academic-information/graduation-regulations/ for undergraduate students.

• Your friends, you will line-up the morning of with your friends regardless of their last name or school.
• Tassel has no impact on where you will sit. 

There will not be a graduation practice ceremony. 

• Ithaca College allows all December 2025 through December 2026 students to participate in the May 2026 Commencement ceremony.  

• December graduates, if you do not want to attend the May 2026 ceremony you can say no, I am not attending, on the Tassel RSVP website. All December graduates are invited to both the December they graduate, and the May ceremonies.

The name that will be printed on your diploma is the name you provide on your application for graduation in HomerConnect. A guide on how to Navigate the application for graduation can be found here.

The name that will be printed in the commencement program is the name you provide on your application for graduation. If your application for graduation is not available to you in HomerConnect, as you have not earned enough credits, or you did not complete the application on time, your preferred name will be used in the commencement program. (Your preferred name is the name that appears on your profile page on HomerConnect. If you need to change your preferred name you can do so in IC Workflow using the Update Homerconnect Profile Information form). If you would like a different name printed in the Commencement program, please email commencement@ithaca.edu.

The name that will be shared on screen and pronounced/read as you cross the stage at commencement is the name, spelling and pronunciation you provide in your commencement attendance registration via Tassel. You will receive an email to your IC email address mid-February to register to attend the May ceremony and Mid-October to attend the December ceremony.

All students will have their diplomas mailed to the address provided in their graduation application in HomerConnect 6-8 weeks after Commencement and after it has been confirmed that all requirements for graduation have been met and the First Destination Survey has been completed.

• December 2024 diplomas will be mailed mid to late January 2025
• May 2025 diplomas will be mailed mid to late June 2025

All graduates who participate in-person at the Commencement ceremony will be given a diploma cover.  Students who do not participate in-person can purchase diploma covers from the campus store. 

Tassel (formerly Marching Order) is the software Ithaca College uses to allow students to sign up to attend the graduation ceremony.  

• No, applying for your degree is a SEPARATE process that you did in the fall and has nothing to do with attending the graduation ceremony.
• Applying for your degree tells us you intend on graduating, what your diploma name is and where to mail it.
• Tassel tells us if you are attending the graduation ceremony or not. 

• All students who plan on attending the graduation ceremony need to register through Tassel to let the college know you plan on attending the ceremony. This is mandatory and needs to be completed by April 15, 2025 at 5pm.
• Signing up only takes 5 minutes.
• Make sure you click the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the signup page. 

• Find your email from Tassel that was sent in early February; your personal link is in those emails. If you still cannot find it email commencement@ithaca.edu.
• If you already created an account, click this link to get to the Returning Users login page. 

• No, this is optional and not required. This is also called a Thank You Slide which will be included in a slideshow prior to the beginning of the graduation ceremony.
• If you choose to complete this option, it is due by April 15, 2025 at 5pm.
• You cannot change your message or photo after April 15, 2025 at 5pm. 

• Yes, if you are an undergraduate student you need to reserve your guest tickets through Tassel by April 15, 2025 at 5pm.
• Each student can receive up to 4 guest tickets.
• Tickets that are unused will be released on a first come first serve basis in late April for students that need extra tickets. 

After the signups for graduation are over, we will be able to determine how many more guest tickets we can offer students. An announcement will be made in late April of how you can receive more tickets. 

No, but it is recommended.