Commencement FAQs

Russell Sage College will celebrate our 110th Commencement Ceremony at the MVP Arena on Saturday, May 15, 2027 at 10:00 a.m. Eligible participants will receive an email notification from the Student Life Office around March 1, 2027 with further details. We anticipate that Commencement 2027 will run similarly to the 2026 ceremony, so the information below is relevant to future celebrations, as well.

Russell Sage College celebrated our 109th Commencement Ceremony at 1:00 PM on Saturday, May 16, 2026.  Below are answers to some frequently asked questions related to Commencement. This site is updated throughout the spring semester as new information becomes available. Future graduates and guests are able to access essential information in the Russell Sage College Commencement 2026 Guide, which provides a comprehensive overview of how the 2026 ceremony functioned. In addition, the Commencement 2026 – Grad Info Presentation provides general information about the flow of the ceremony and expectations for graduates and guests that may be helpful for those looking ahead to future ceremonies.

View a recording of the 2026 Commencement Ceremony on Russell Sage’s YouTube channel and by clicking on the button below.

Guests do not need to RSVP, but graduates do. As a first step, graduates must apply to graduate through Self-Service. Instructions are available online. Application deadlines are February 15 for May graduates, June 1 for August graduates and October 1 for December graduates. Students can direct any questions to the Registrar’s office at degreeclearance@sage.edu regarding eligibility to graduate or if they qualify to participate in the ceremony as a “walker”. 

In addition, graduates will be asked to RSVP online through the Student Life Office’s Google form, so that they can reserve a place for them in the graduation procession. A link to this form will be sent out by the Student Life Office in an email by March 1. Students and graduates who do not confirm their plans to participate in commencement by May 1 will be removed from the graduation line-up and will not be able to participate in the ceremony. The RSVP form for the 2027 ceremony will not open until March 1. Contact deanofstudents@sage.edu with any questions.

All graduates and students who submit graduation applications for August, December, and May, and all those who submit “Walker Applications” to participate in the May 2027 commencement ceremony will receive vital information via email from the Student Life Office by March 1. The personalized email invitation to commencement will ask them to RSVP to confirm their participation.

All graduates who respond and indicate that they plan to attend the commencement ceremony will receive personalized email reminders and updates from the Student Life Office throughout April and May. These will continue through the week of commencement.

MVP Arena
(formerly known as the Times Union Center)
51 South Pearl Street
Albany, NY 12207

The ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. and the doors to the arena will open at 8:30 a.m. Graduates and guests should be sure to allow additional time for parking and security check upon entering the arena.

All graduates will need to check in by 9:00 a.m. to line up for the graduate procession. 

Commencement typically lasts 2.5-3 hours. Out of respect for all graduates, attendees are asked to stay for the entire commencement ceremony and graduates must remain seated during the ceremony. Graduates who cannot commit to remaining for the duration of the ceremony should not plan to participate.

Only graduates are required to stay for the duration of the ceremony. Guests will not be prevented from leaving the ceremony before it ends, if they choose. We recommend that graduates and guests not make dining restaurant reservations before 1:30PM to allow time for the ceremony to conclude and for additional time to exit the Arena and parking garage.

A recording of the 2026 Commencement Ceremony is available to view online. The 2027 ceremony will follow the same or similar order of exercises.

You do NOT need tickets and we do not plan to limit the number of guests a graduate may have. All seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

All graduates must wear academic regalia (cap, tassel, gown, and hood/stole) to participate in the ceremony. All graduates are encouraged to order regalia in advance online. Instructions for ordering your cap and gown will be included in the March 1st email from the Student Life Office. The deadline for online ordering through Herff Jones is typically around April 1. Regalia ordered online will be shipped to one of our campus bookstores (for free) or to a graduate’s home (for a fee) and should arrive by early May. For those who do not order their cap and gown online by the deadline, the College Bookstores will also have a limited supply of regalia items that graduates can purchase in person in early May. Comprehensive information is available on Russell Sage’s Academic Regalia for Commencement page.

Your degree determines the type and color of your academic regalia. When ordering your regalia online through Herff Jones, you will need to select the degree you are earning (e.g., Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Science, Doctorate in Physical Therapy, etc.). Graduates can verify this information in your academic Program Evaluation in Student Planning and with the registrar’s office (degreeclearance@sage.edu).

Upon receipt of your regalia, be sure to verify that all of the regalia pieces (cap, gown, tassel, hood or stole) arrived and are the correct color. Bachelor’s caps and gowns are black; tassel colors correspond with your degree and are the same color as the velvet trim on your hood. Master’s caps, tassels, and gowns are black. Doctoral gowns are green with a black tam and gold tassel. The inner lining of the hood for all graduates should be green and white (Sage’s colors) and the velvet trim on the hood should correspond with your degree per this chart. Graduates in the College Experience Program wear a black cap, tassel, and gown with a royal blue stole as their regalia.

If you receive any incorrect item or are missing an item from your order, you will be able to obtain the correct item from either campus bookstore after May 1. If you have questions about your academic regalia (AFTER May 1), please call The Bookstore (Albany campus): 518-694-7378 or m.o.s.s. books (Troy campus): 518-274-0199.

Yes. The official academic regalia worn at commencement carries significance in the ceremony and should not be altered (though cap decorating is allowed). Graduates who have been awarded distinct honors by the College or their department may be given special honor cords, stoles, or pins to wear at the Commencement Ceremony. These are typically awarded by academic departments and honor societies. Click here for a list of honor cords and designations approved by the Provost’s office.

Honor cords for Latin Honors for undergraduates who qualify are distributed by the registrar’s office via the Solutions Desk the two days prior to the commencement ceremony. The registrar’s office typically emails students by the Thursday before commencement if they qualify. Criteria for Latin Honors are listed in the College Catalog.

In addition, graduates can follow in the footsteps of Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, our founder and one of the greatest philanthropists of her time, by giving back to Sage in honor of your graduation. As a thank you, all 2027 graduates who make a gift of $20.27 or more will receive an exclusive philanthropy cord to wear proudly at Commencement! Email annualfund@sage.edu with any questions about picking up your honor cords. More information will be distributed in the spring semester about how to donate online. The last day to donate in time to get your philanthropy cord before the commencement ceremony is Wednesday, May 12.

Yes. CITE Graduates can opt to attend one of TWO ceremonies. They are invited to participate in the official College Commencement ceremony in Albany on May 15th, for which they must R.S.V.P. and purchase their own academic regalia (cap and gown). Or, they can opt to attend the ceremony in New York City, which is coordinated by the CITE program. Graduates who attend this ceremony will be provided a cap and gown and will not need to order your own online. Please direct any questions about this ceremony to the CITE staff.

Graduates receive an email invitation to Commencement, but no formal paper invitation. Those who would like to order formal graduation announcements may do so on their own. Graduation announcements and diploma frames are available to purchase online through our graduation regalia vendor, Herff Jones. To view options for purchase, go to the Herff Jones website and select your campus and degree (like you would if you were ordering regalia) and then click on the appropriate tabs for either “Announcements,” “Diploma Frames,” or “Class Rings.”

There is no reserved seating for guests. There is ample seating in the Arena accessible through the Concourse Level (3). Graduates will receive their seat assignments via email in May. They will be seated on the floor of the Arena in alphabetical order by Degree Level.

No. There will be no commencement rehearsal, so graduates will have more time to spend with their guests. Detailed information will be sent to all participating graduates the week of commencement, so please be sure to read through these carefully so you are ready for the ceremony. Additional instructions will be provided to graduates as they line up for the procession, so be sure to arrive no later than 9:00 a.m. to check in.

Yes. Guests who are not able to attend in person could watch the ceremony live through the Commencement 2027 microsite. Students will be provided the link in advance through emails from the Student Life office so that they could share it with their family members.  In addition, the recording of the ceremony is available to view online after the event.

The MVP Arena has security procedures for all events held at their facility, which include metal detectors, bag searches, limitation of allowed bag size, and if needed, pat downs. In addition, disruptive items like air horns are strictly prohibited, as they impact the ability for all graduates’ names to be heard.

Yes. The MVP Arena is a large venue with ample accessible seating for wheelchairs that will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. (Note that guests need to provide their own wheelchairs, if needed, as the venue does not have these to loan out.) The College will not have a reserved seating section for guests with mobility impairments.

Please keep in mind that the commencement venue is an arena with a significant distance and stairs between the entrances (and parking) and seating for guests and graduates. (Elevator access is available, if needed.) Guests will need to be able to navigate this on their own. Staff will be on hand to point guests in the right direction, but there will not be ushers available to bring guests directly to specific seats.

Please note guests who are seeking wheelchair accessible seating should plan to arrive no later than 12:00. Those who arrive after all wheelchair accessible seating is filled on the Concourse level may be directed to seats on the floor of the Arena, but not until after the ceremony has begun to allow for the graduation procession to pass.

Graduates have the opportunity to indicate accessibility needs for themselves or their guests when completing the online Commencement Participation Form. The Student Life office will follow up with anyone who indicated a need in the online form to provide further information and guidance. Graduates and guests may contact the Student Life Office directly at 518-244-2207 or deanofstudents@sage.edu with any questions. All requests for accommodations must be submitted to the student life office by May 1. 

Students and families will need to secure their own transportation to the MVP Arena, which is accessible by car and the CDTA bus. For more detailed information about parking and directions to the arena, please visit the MVP website.

Yes. On-street parking is available around the MVP Arena, along with several small parking lots with variable rates. We highly recommend parking in the garage located directly behind the MVP Arena, which provides direct, covered access to this building on the Concourse level at a reduced rate of $5 for this event. Entry to this garage is directly off of Market Street, just before you reach Eagle Street. For accurate GPS navigation to the garage entrance, use 1 Market St, Albany, NY 12207.

Additional parking information is available on the MVP website. Visit Park Albany for more information regarding additional area parking options.

Yes. Photographers from Genesee Photo Systems capture the moment when graduates are greeted by President Shaftel on stage with their diploma covers and as they exit the stage. Graduates are sent a link to the images when they are posted online for viewing and purchase from Genesee Photography after the ceremony.

Graduates and families are able to pre-register in advance on the Genesee Photography website and provide their contact information to receive email notification and a link as soon as photos are ready to view. Graduates are not required to purchase photographs, but all will be able to view proofs online for free to determine if you would like to make a purchase.

Commencement 2026 Photos are available online through the link below:

Yes. The MVP Arena has made an exception to its usual policy, and cameras will be allowed at commencement. Note that family members will not be able to leave their seats and approach the stage to take photos during the ceremony, so as to not block the view for others.

The residence halls will officially close at 5PM on Saturday, May 15th. If you are a graduating student living in on-campus housing, you must move all of your belongings out of the residence halls and turn in your key(s) and fob by this time. Students are encouraged to use the time between the last day of exams and commencement to pack up and move their belongings. Please note that you may incur fines if you are not completely moved out by the required deadline, as we need to ensure adequate time to clean rooms for Summer Housing needs. We strongly encourage you to begin packing prior to Commencement on Saturday, so that you can spend your time over commencement weekend celebrating and still be able to move out in a timely manner.

Students graduating in May will receive their official diplomas by mail by the end of June. These are shipped by the registrar’s office and will be sent to the address that students submitted on their graduation application. To update or inquire about the address where your diploma will be shipped, please contact the registrar’s office at degreeclearance@sage.edu.

Russell Sage College diploma frames and other memorabilia can be purchased from the college bookstores in person or online.

The Russell Sage College Alumnae/i Association has partnered with a vendor to sell branded items celebrating our Russell Sage legacy. All items are branded with the Alumnae/i Association seal and will be available for purchase at the commencement ceremony. In addition, you can order items online and have them shipped right to your door.

The Student Life office will regularly update the commencement webpages accessible through Sage.edu/Commencement throughout the spring semester and provide important information and reminders to graduates via their Sage email.

Graduates and guests can contact the Student Life Office at 518-244-2207 or deanofstudents@sage.edu with any questions regarding commencement.