Champlain College Commencement FAQs

Commencement will be held at the Champlain Valley Exposition: 105 Pearl St, Essex Junction, VT 05452

Commencement is on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 10 AM.

8:00 AM | Doors open for guests  

8:00-9:15 AM | Student check-in

9:45 AM | Commencement procession begins

10:00 AM | Ceremony Begins     

Post-Ceremony Gathering to follow

Yes, we will honor both on-campus and online graduates during our 10 AM ceremony.

Each graduate is guaranteed five tickets for guests at graduation. Students will receive a Graduation Form via email to fill out in late January, and one of the questions will ask you to indicate how many of your five (5) seats you plan to use. Tickets will be distributed in late April. If you anticipate needing more than five tickets, fill out this form to join our waiting list. Please note, this does not guarantee you extra tickets. 

All eligible graduates will receive an email in mid to late January with a link to order your regalia. If you are attending Commencement in person, the College will pay for your regalia. On-campus students will pick up their regalia at the Graduation Fair and online students will have theirs mailed to them (online students are responsible for the cost of shipping).

If you are not attending the ceremony in person but are interested in wearing regalia to celebrate remotely, we encourage you to order from a third party public site.

Yes. A livestream of the ceremonies will be available to view on this site at commencement.champlain.edu.

Champlain secures discounted deals at multiple hotels in the Burlington area. Stay tuned for more details.

Grad Images will take official photos of the graduates on stage as well as a posed photo with their diploma once they exit the stage. Graduates will be emailed a link with their photos for purchase in the weeks following the ceremony.

We will also have an event photographer at the ceremonies capturing candids, which will be free to download.

There is plenty of parking available at the Champlain Valley Expo. If assistance is needed, golf carts will be available to get you to the entrance. Shuttle service will be available to and from Champlain College in Burlington for those who will require transportation to the Champlain Valley Expo. Please do not bring items such as purses or backpacks as there is no secure place to keep them.

The shuttle schedule is as follows. Please note the final shuttle that will arrive at the ceremony on time departs from 194 Saint Paul St. at 8:25 AM and from Main Campus at 8:30 AM.

 DEPARTURE FROM 194 SAINT PAUL STREET 

Morning: 7:25 AM, 7:55 AM, 8:25 AM, 8:55 AM, 9:25 AM

DEPARTURE FROM MAIN CAMPUS 

Morning: 7:30 AM, 8:00 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 9:30 AM

RETURN TRIPS FROM CHAMPLAIN VALLEY EXPO TO CAMPUS 

12:00 PM, 12:30 PM, 1:00 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:00 PM

IMPORTANT INFORMATION 

● Shuttle Route: All shuttles go from 194 Saint Paul Street → Main Campus → Champlain Valley Expo 

● Service Frequency: Shuttles run approximately every 30 minutes 

● Last Shuttle: The final return shuttle from the Expo leaves at 2:00 PM 

● The shuttle stop at 194 Saint Paul St. will be at the north end of the building, at the entrance to Browns Ct. 

● The shuttle stop at Main Campus will be the bus shelter ON the South Side of Maple St (the wooden bus shelter beside CCM). 

● The shuttle stop at the Champlain Valley Exposition will be in front of the entrance doors to Blue Ribbon Pavilion (student check-in location). 

The Robert E. Miller Expo Centre is fully accessible. Our Commencement staff are pleased to direct our guests with accessibility needs to a designated section of the Expo Centre. We ask that you plan for one additional family member to sit in that section as well. The staff will assist you if needed. Please plan to arrive early. If you are a graduating student who has accessibility needs, please graduation@champlain.edu.

Absolutely no pets, besides properly identified service animals, are permitted at the ceremonies or post-ceremony gatherings. We appreciate your cooperation.

Prior to each ceremony, paid concessions (light snacks and beverages) will be offered outside the main guest entrance to Expo South, as well as a floral vendor, and the Champlain College Campus Store. Following each commencement ceremony, we will have a brief post-ceremony gathering for graduates, guests, faculty and the platform party. Join us for cake, beverages, and photo opportunities!

If you are eligible to receive honors stole(s) or sash(es), they will be given to you when you arrive and check-in at Commencement.

Undergraduate Students:
Latin distinctions are given to graduating undergraduate students, who have completed all program requirements, with the following minimum cumulative grade point averages:

Summa Cum Laude: 3.80 average
Magna Cum Laude: 3.65 average
Cum Laude: 3.50 average

Divisions may award additional honors recognizing academic, service and career development achievements. Conduct records may be accessed in the determination of these awards.

Master’s Students:
Champlain (like many other schools) does not designate Latin Honors for master’s degrees. Master’s students need to earn a minimum 3.0 GPA to graduate, and earning an advanced degree demonstrates excellence in one’s field of study. Therefore, students are not further sorted by Summa Cum Laude or Magna Cum Laude.

Senior Week is the week leading up to Commencement. Sign ups will be available at the HUB desk in the IDX Student Life Center leading up to the event(s).

All communications sent to students will be uploaded to this website once commencement emails begin going out.

Please email graduation@champlain.edu.