Graduation Dashboard

Welcome!

• Congratulations, graduates!
• Today we'll cover everything you need to know for commencement
• When to arrive, what to wear, and how the ceremony works
• Then we'll head to the grand hall and review the process of walking across the stage

Graduation Details

• Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
• Location: Dennis A. Wicker Civic Center, Sanford, NC
• Ceremony Times: 9:00 AM · 11:30 AM · 3:00 PM
• Graduates may invite up to 4 guests
• Guests should arrive no more than 20–25 minutes prior to the ceremony to ease parking and traffic from the previous ceremony
• Credentials mailed in June

Live Stream

• Charter Cable 193: Lee, Chatham, and Harnett Counties
• Web: 4cnclive.com/live
• 4CNC App: FireTV, Roku, and Apple TV

Arrive Early!

• Arrive 45 minutes before the ceremony
• Why? Check-in, line up, and get organized
• Being "on time" = LATE

What to Wear

• Black cap, gown, and tassel
• Official CCCC Honors Stoles only (received day of ceremony):

Special Cords & Tassels

When You Arrive

• 1. Check in at the Civic Center lobby with graduation staff
• 2. You'll be directed to the small auditorium
• 3. Find your assigned seat — your name is on a notecard
• Your seat may also have a Program & Program Level card
• Hold on to your cards — you'll need your name card (and Program & Program Level card if applicable) for the stage walk
• Honors stole at your seat if GPA ≥ 3.5 in your program level
• PTK members receive a Gold PTK stole instead

Ceremony Program

• Processional — bagpipes and "Pomp and Circumstance" as you enter the grand hall
• Remain standing until after the National Anthem & Invocation
• Welcome from the President
• Commencement Address from a fellow graduate
• Presentation of Graduates — each name read as you cross the stage
• Conferring of Diplomas by the Board of Trustees Chair
• Benediction and Recessional — you did it!

Your Stage Walk

• When the ambassadors signal your row, stand and move to the right aisle
• Walk to the stairs on the RIGHT side of the stage
• A staff member checks your notecard, then you hand it to the reader
• Pick up your diploma cover from the table
• Walk to center stage — handshake with Dr. Chapman
• Continue to the LEFT side and walk down the stairs
• Return to your seat via the left aisle — you may sit down once back

During the Ceremony

• Cell phones on silent during the ceremony
• Follow the graduate in front of you — don't break the line
• Wait for the ambassadors to signal your row before standing
• Ambassadors and staff are there to guide you every step

After the Ceremony

• Faculty and platform party exit first during the recessional
• Graduates exit row by row — follow the Ambassador's lead
• Meet your family and friends in the lobby
• Actual credentials (diplomas, certificates) mailed in June
• Take photos and celebrate — you earned this!

Walkthrough Time!

• I'll demonstrate the full walk flow — from your seat to the stage and back
• Use the animations in this presentation to review each part of the ceremony on your own
• Pay attention to the aisles, stairs, and stage directions
• On graduation day you'll be seated in the middle section directly in front of the stage

Questions?

• We're here to help!
• Ask now or catch us after practice
• Congrats again — we're so proud of you!