Tickets

Commencement ceremony tickets

There is no charge for Commencement tickets, but they must be ordered in advance by the graduate. Each graduate will receive a Commencement ticket order form at Senior Salute in February.

• Van Noord Arena seating

To accommodate family members and guests of our graduates, each graduate may receive up to four tickets for the arena.

• Overflow seating

Graduates may also receive two tickets for overflow seating in either the Covenant Fine Arts Center or the Chapel. These are the preferred venues for those who cannot use bleacher seating. If additional tickets for overflow seating are needed, students may note that on their ticket order form and these will be accommodated as space permits.

• Accessible seating

The Van Noord Arena has wheelchair-accessible seating available. However, please note that most of the general admission seating requires climbing stairs which some grandparents find to be too steep, and the overflow venues may be more comfortable for guests. Graduates must communicate requests for accessible seating accommodations in advance for any guest requiring wheelchair seating or accessible lower row seating. These requests can be submitted on the graduate's ticket order form or via the box office (events@calvin.edu).

The accessible seating sections are reserved for the person needing the assistance and one guest. Additional family members must sit in general admission seating.

• Audio and visual accommodations

Graduates whose guests require sign language, large print, Braille or any other such accommodations for the Commencement ceremony must request these arrangements in advance on their ticket order form or via the box office (events@calvin.edu).

• Ticket pick-up

Commencement tickets will be available for pick-up at the Calvin College box office by the graduate from May 6-17, 2013 (student ID required). Graduates will be responsible for distributing these tickets to parents, family members and other guests attending Commencement.

Commencement Picnic tickets

Tickets are not required, though please limit the size of your party to one graduate and up to 6 guests.

Senior Breakfast tickets

Tickets are not required. Due to space considerations, this event is for graduates only.

Breakfast for Parents of Graduates tickets

9 a.m.–10:30 a.m., Prince Conference Center
Join Calvin administrators for this special Commencement Weekend event. Seating is limited to 275 parents.

Tickets, purchased in advance by parents, are required ($15/person). The ticket order form was included in the Commencement letter that was mailed to parents in January. You can also order online or call the box office at (616) 526-6282. Sales for tickets for this event end on May 10, 2013, or when the event sells out. Tickets will be mailed directly to the parents' home.

FAQs

Calvin has a large arena, so why can our family only receive four tickets?

The arena holds about 4,500 seats, and some seats will be inaccessible due to staging. After providing seats for about 900 graduates, all faculty members, program participants, and the 50-year reunion class, we're able to provide four seats per family. Overflow seating is available in the Covenant Fine Arts Center or the Chapel.

Why doesn't Calvin hold Commencement at an off-campus venue where everyone can come?

It is more meaningful to students to celebrate their Commencement in the place where they have studied, worked and lived during their Calvin years. In periodic surveys, students indicate that they would prefer a smaller Calvin venue to a larger off-campus venue. In addition, Calvin is able to provide better hospitality services, there is free/accessible parking, and there's a significant cost savings by hosting the event on campus.

What can my student do to get more tickets?

Students often network or use Calvin eDeals to find students who don't need all their tickets. Everyone can receive two overflow tickets along with their arena tickets. Students can also note any special requests on the back of the Commencement ticket order form; we will accommodate as many additional overflow seating requests as possible.