Commencement 2026 FAQ: College of Liberal Arts

Date: Sunday, May 10, 2026

Start Time: 9 a.m.

Graduate Arrival: Graduates must arrive no later than 8 a.m. the day of the ceremony.

Showalter Stadium

Showalter Stadium is an easily accessible location approximately 2.5 miles from the Rollins campus. The address is: Showalter Stadium, 2525 Cady Way, Winter Park, FL 32792.

The Class of 2026 marks an exciting milestone as the largest graduating class in Rollins history! To celebrate this achievement and ensure that every graduate can share their special day with as many loved ones as possible, we considered options outside of our traditional Alfond Sports Center venue. Through collaborative planning with students and staff, we've identified that Showalter will allow us to host an even more inclusive celebration where graduates can be surrounded by more family and friends on this very special occasion.

We've scheduled an early ceremony time to take advantage of cooler morning temperatures for everyone's comfort. Our team will monitor weather conditions leading up to commencement and communicate any timing updates promptly. We are committed to ensuring a beautiful, memorable ceremony for graduates and their families. At this time, there is not a rain date.

The Class of 2026 is a large class, so please plan for up to 3 hours for this ceremony. The doors will open 1 hour before the ceremony.

Please see the guidelines below:

Field Seating for Guests and Students: Spiked or high heels are not permitted on the grass at Showalter Stadium. We recommend wearing flats, wedges, or block/thick heels.

• Students wearing spiked heels will be asked to remove them to prevent damage to the field and reduce the risk of injury.
• Guests in spiked heels will be directed to the bleacher seating or may choose to remove their shoes.

Bleacher Seating: There are no restrictions on footwear for guests seated in the bleachers.

Your health and well-being are our top priority. If you have a medical or muscular condition that requires specific footwear, please email commencement@rollins.edu.

A mandatory graduation rehearsal for CLA students participating in Commencement will take place on Friday, May 8, 2026, at 4 p.m. in Knowles Memorial Chapel.

Announcements and rings can be ordered at www.jostens.com.

Rollins has contracted with GradImages to take photographs of the graduates during each commencement ceremony. The company will contact the graduates regarding purchasing photographs after the ceremony.

You will receive an order form and details from GradImages the day of Commencement and can purchase accordingly.

Cords are picked up before commencement in the department and/or student organization from which they are awarded. They will not be available for pick up the day of commencement.

Graduating students with Latin honors can pick up their tassel when they pick up commencement tickets or at the mandatory graduation rehearsal on Friday, May 8, 2026.

Please visit this website for lodging information for out-of-town guests.

Yes, each ceremony will be live-streamed and posted to the Commencement website (https://www.rollins.edu/commencement).

Headphones will be available for all three ceremonies for guests who would like real-time Spanish translation of the ceremony. The headphones will be available the day of the ceremony. Please let a volunteer know when you enter Showalter Stadium.

Amplified sound through air horns, champagne bottles, beach balls, drugs, unmanned signs, violence, weapons, threats, blocking of entrances, and other distractions from the ceremony are prohibited.

Graduates should park at Brookshire Elementary School, located at 2500 Cady Way, Winter Park, FL 32792. The parking lot has long roadways and you can park along the roadway as long as you are not blocking any other vehicle(s). Please see the parking map.

Graduating students will check in at the graduate entrance (check in area noted on the Commencement map) and proceed directly to their assigned seat. The Registrar will inform you via your Rollins email account of your seating assignment. Only students who have completed the Participation Survey will be assigned a seat.

Guest Parking: Guests should enter on Perth Avenue. Parking accommodations are available. Parking attendants will be available to direct you. Guest parking opens at 8:00 a.m. Please note that it may take 20-30 minutes to park and walk to the venue, please plan accordingly. Please review the parking map.

Yes. No high or spiked heels are allowed on the grass at Showalter Stadium. We recommend flats, wedges, block or thicker heels for women. If spike heels are worn, we will ask students and guests to remove them as they could damage the field or potentially cause injury. Your health and well-being is of the upmost importance, so if you have a medical or muscular condition, please email commencement@rollins.edu.

We ask that all students wear their robes on for the duration of the event.

Caps may be decorated for graduation. We request that any decoration be suitable for the importance of the occasion. We reserve the right to ask students to remove any decoration that might be deemed offensive or in violation of our existing policies.

Pins, cords, and stoles representing academic honor societies, cultural organizations, student leadership, and service organizations, if the organization is registered at Rollins.

Yes.

For the College of Liberal Arts ceremony on Sunday, May 10, 2026, each student who plans to attend commencement, and who completes the post-graduation survey, will receive five (5) tickets for guests. Students who are not participating in commencement are not eligible for tickets.

The Center for Career & Life Planning will send an email to all 2026 CLA and Holt graduating students on April 21, 2026, to complete the post-graduation survey. The survey takes five minutes or less to complete, and the information is kept confidential.

There are three ways to pick up tickets.

1. Ticket Kick-Off Event
Thursday, April 30, 2026, from 2 – 6 p.m.
Center for Career & Life Planning, Kathleen W. Rollins Hall (1st floor)

Complete the Post-Graduation Survey (will be emailed in April to the student’s @Rollins.edu address).

Students graduating with Latin honors will receive their honors tassel when they pick up tickets.

Learn more about alumni resources, receive alumni swag, and make a gift to the Rollins Annual Fund to receive a donor recognition cord.

Share your Success Story picture and enjoy refreshments to go!

Students must pick up their individual tickets and an ID will be required.

2. Regular Pick up - The Week of May 4-8, 2026
Students who are unable to attend the Kick-Off event can collect their tickets during the week of May 4-8, 2026. Pickup times during the week are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday, May 8, 2026 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ticket pickup will be available on the first floor of Kathleen W. Rollins Hall. Students must pick up their individual tickets and an ID will be required.

3. Will Call
For students unable to pick up tickets before commencement, their tickets will be available for family members/guests to collect at Will Call on the day of the event at Showalter Stadium.

Since we are offering five tickets per participating graduate, the Showalter Stadium will be at capacity and we will not be offering additional tickets. 

Each student must pick up their unique tickets, which they may give to others if they wish. Only students participating in the ceremony will receive tickets. An ID will be required to pick up tickets.

Two weeks before commencement, the Post-Graduation Survey for 2026 CLA will be sent out via email from the Center for Career & Life Planning.

A toddler on someone’s lap will not require a ticket. This applies to young toddlers and infants only (age 2 and under).

Yes. We will be providing overflow seating on campus in the Bush Auditorium for guests who do not have a ticket.

If a student or guest requires seating accommodations for the CLA ceremony on Sunday, May 10, 2026, please fill out this survey.

There will be parking accommodations at Showalter Stadium for those with state-issued parking passes.

A sign language interpreter will be present at the ceremony, and their interpretation will be projected on the screen throughout the event.

The Bookstore will host a Grad Finale on February 17 and 18, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Bookstore parking lot. During this event, students can order and pay for graduation regalia, announcements, rings, stoles, and other Rollins memorabilia.

The Registrar's Office, Alumni Office and the Career Center will also be available to help ensure you are fully prepared for graduation.

If you are unable to attend the Grad Finale, you can stop by the Bookstore during regular business hours to order regalia.

The deadline to order Regalia is March 2, 2026. If you have missed this deadline, please contact Mary Vitelli in the Bookstore.

Regalia will be available for pick up starting April 15, 2026.

Saturday, May 9, 2026, 6 p.m. in Knowles Memorial Chapel

CLA students, family, and friends are invited to attend Baccalaureate.

A baccalaureate is a service where students and their families and friends can enter into a time of reflection and celebration on a spiritual (or faith) level. The Center for Religious & Spiritual Life has partnered with the Office of Alumni Engagement to host Baccalaureate together. The event is now called Baccalaureate/Seniorwish.

One of the many highlights is reflections given by several graduating students who have been associated with the Center of Spiritual Life & Interfaith Engagement (formerly Religious & Spiritual Life).

Questions? Contact the Dean of Spiritual Life & Interfaith Engagement (formerly Religious & Spiritual Life) office at 407.646.2115.