Spring 2026 Undergrad Commencement Ceremony Information for Faculty and Staff

Faculty participation at commencement is important to our graduates and families. Please plan to attend the Undergraduate commencement ceremony and reception on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Let us know which ceremony you will attend by completing the Faculty/Staff Commencement Participation form.

To select your hood color and academic regalia, please reach out to Red Dragon Outfitters.

Regalia Cost and Deadlines

Direct shipping is available for an additional fee.

A rehearsal video with instructions will be available for viewing by May 1, 2026.

Commencement Academic Regalia Procedures

Commencement is an official academic ceremony that celebrates the accomplishments of all students who have completed the requirements of their degrees at SUNY Oneonta. In recognition of the significance of commencement, all SUNY Oneonta commencement ceremony participants are required to wear full academic regalia – gown, cap, and tassel (and hood for those holding or earning master’s or doctoral degrees).

To maintain a professional, consistent, ceremonial academic atmosphere, while respecting the diverse identities and traditions of all graduating students, all commencement participants must wear full University-approved academic regalia. (Special exceptions include religious officials and military service members who may wear traditional/customary ministerial robes and military service dress uniforms, respectively.)

These procedures apply to all ceremony participants, including:

• Students/Graduates
• Faculty and Staff
• Vice Presidents and Administrators
• President

Procedures

All ceremony participants are required to wear the appropriate academic regalia in concordance with their degree to participate in commencement ceremonies. (see degree-specific information below)

Wearing and adorning gowns:

• Gowns are to remain formal, with no non-academic embellishments/decorations. Gowns must remain zippered for the duration of the ceremony.
• Graduates can wear honor cords, stoles and medals depicting official university and/or department recognitions, or national organization honors. Award pins from organizations are worn on clothes, not academic robes.

Wearing and decorating caps/mortarboards:

• Graduates may decorate the top of their mortarboard.
• Only the top of the mortar board may be decorated. Decorations must remain flat (not increase the height of the cap) so they don’t obstruct the view of other participants.
• Only the traditional tassel may hang down from any sides of the cap.
• It is appropriate for mortarboard decorations to have expressions of well-wishes and gratitude or affiliation with campus sanctioned organizations.
• Decorations should be tasteful and cannot contain advertisements, promote disruptive behavior, reference illegal activities, contain obscenities or slurs, or threaten the safety and welfare of others.
• The cap should be worn flat on the head, so the mortarboard remains parallel to the ground. Do not lean it backwards or sideways – it must not impede the view of those behind you and will be more likely to fall off.

Bachelor’s Academic Regalia

• Includes black academic gown, black mortarboard, and tassel.
• Undergraduate students who are graduating with academic honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude) will receive a special academic honors medallion from the University during Grad HQ.

Faculty/Staff/Administrator Academic Regalia

• Includes gown, tam, tassel, and hood representing the higher education institution from which they received their highest degree.
• SUNY Oneonta’s official presidential regalia is specific to the president and the University.

All commencement ceremony participants should secure regalia from the Red Dragon Outfitters according to the deadlines listed on their website. Costs for commencement regalia are the responsibility of each graduate. Faculty and staff participants are responsible for securing their own regalia – if needed, gowns, hoods, tams, and more are available for rent or purchase through Red Dragon Outfitters.

The University reserves the right to require ceremony participants remove any adornments or modifications to regalia that are not in alignment with the above procedures before they can participate in the Commencement ceremony.

Please plan to arrive using the Alumni Field House entrance by the soccer field 45 minutes prior to your ceremony in the AFH Dance Studio.

• 9 a.m. School of Sciences
• 1 p.m. School of Liberal Arts and Business
• 4:30 p.m. School of Education, Human Ecology, & Sports Studies

A Commencement Reception will follow each ceremony in the President’s Garden.