Commencement FAQs

Russell Sage College will celebrate our 107th Commencement Ceremony at 6:00 PM on Saturday, May 11, 2024.  Below please find answers to some frequently asked questions related to Commencement. This site will continue to be updated through the spring semester as new information becomes available.

All graduates and students who submitted graduation applications for August 2023, December 2023, and May 2024, and all those who submitted “Walker Applications” to participate in the May 2024 commencement ceremony will receive vital information via email from the Student Life Office. On March 1, all eligible students and graduates were sent a formal email invitation to the commencement ceremony, which asked them to RSVP to confirm their participation.

In addition, 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 in March and April. These will continue through the week of commencement. Much of the information has been summarized in the Russell Sage College Graduate Guide to Commencement from 2023. Note that this will be updated for 2024 by May and an optional Grad Info Session will be held on Zoom on May 9th.

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

The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. and the doors to the arena will open at 4:30 p.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 5 p.m. to line up for the graduate procession. 

Commencement typically lasts 2-3 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.

You do NOT need tickets and we do not plan to limit the number of guests a graduate may have, pending no significant changes to public health guidance. All seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Guests do not, but graduates do. As a first step, graduates needed to have already applied to graduate through Self-Service. Instructions are available online. Applications for May graduation should have been completed online by February 15. Students can direct any questions regarding eligibility to graduate to the Registrar’s office at [email protected]. 

In addition, graduates are asked to complete an online Commencement Participation Form by April 1 through the Student Life Office, so that we could reserve a place for them in the graduation procession. A link to this form was sent out by the Student Life Office in an email on March 1. Students and graduates who do not confirm their plans to participate in commencement by April 1 will be removed from the graduation line-up and will not be able to attend. Note that even those not planning to attend the ceremony need to RSVP by clicking on the link below.

All graduates must wear academic regalia (cap, tassel, gown, and hood) to participate in the ceremony. All graduates are encouraged to order regalia in advance online by Monday, March 25 through Herff Jones. 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 April 30. The College Bookstores will also have a limited supply of regalia items that graduates can purchase in person after the online order deadline in early May. You can access their contact information on Sage.edu.

Click HERE for more details on how to obtain your cap and gown. Note that the site to order regalia will not open until March 1.

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 by College/Degree Level. Click HERE for a map of graduate seating.

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 5PM to check in.

In addition, a Commencement 2024 Info Session has been scheduled for Thursday, May 9th at 4PM on Zoom. Graduates are not required to attend this session, but are encouraged to join us to get any last minute questions answered. The session will also be recorded and shared with all graduates by email. A link will be sent to students in early May with more details about this session.

Yes. Guests who are not able to attend in person can watch the ceremony live.  In addition, the recording of the ceremony will be available to view online after the event.

The livestream will be available on the Commencement 2024 microsite, along with the names of our academic award winners for this year and other information about the more than 100 years of commencement at Russell Sage. A link to this site will be posted in early May.

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.

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.

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 [email protected] 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. You may also find parking in these nearby lots:

Additional parking information is available on the MVP website.

Yes. Photographers from Genesee Photo Systems will capture the moment when graduates are greeted by President Ames on stage with their diploma covers and as they exit the stage. Graduates will be sent a link to the images when they are posted online for viewing and purchase from Genesee Photography after the ceremony (usually within a few days of commencement).

Graduates and families can pre-register in advance on the Genesee Photography website and provide their contact information so you will receive email notification and a link as soon as your 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 2023 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.

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 [email protected].

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 can be shipped right to your door.

The Student Life office will regularly update the commencement webpages accessible through Sage.edu/Commencement throughout the spring semester. In addition, graduates will receive important information and reminders via their Sage email beginning in early March.

Graduates and guests can contact the Student Life Office at 518-244-2207 or [email protected] with any questions regarding commencement.