Checklist for Graduates
Eligible 2024-25 graduates will be invited in early April to join a Commencement 2025 Canvas course to receive notifications and instructions on the ceremony.
The Canvas course invite was sent to Summer 2024 and Fall 2024 graduates in early February , so these students should accept the "course invitation" they received via their NVC student email address.
Students must have an active NVC email account to join the Commencement 2025 Canvas course, so if you don't have one, please contact the Office of Student Affairs to provide us with your personal email.
- Graduates wishing to participate in the ceremony will need to RSVP via an online RSVP form that will be made available by the first week of April.
- Thursday, May 8, 2025 is the RSVP deadline to let us know if you want to participate in the ceremony or if you can't.
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We ask all eligible 2024-25 graduatesthat to fill out the RSVP form to give us a YES or NO. If you can't participate in the ceremony, then we will remove your email from the list, so that we don't keep sending you reminders. Your name will still be printed in the Commencement Program since you're still graduating as an 2024-2025 graduate.
- Regalia is required to participate in the ceremony and can be purchased online through April 16, 2025, via the Josten's NVC Bookstore website.
- Please order your regalia at the below link to order your Graduation product by April 16th. By taking advantage of this early opportunity, additional package discounts and customizations are available that won’t be offered after the web site closes April 16th. If you wish to wait until April 17th, the Napa Valley College Bookstore will have the product in stock for you in store or you can order on nvcbookstore.com beginning April 17th. The standard cap, gown, and tassel packages or a la carte items, will be the same price on the website as in the store.
- For more details on the color of regalia, see the Cap and Gown (Academic Regalia) page.
- Graduates are allowed to decorate their cap. Get creative! No restrictions but must not be offensive or inappropriate.
- It can last about 1.5-2 hours depending on how many graduates participate.
- Attendance at rehearsal is highly recommended but not required if you are taking a final.
- You will receive your Graduate Information Card at the rehearsal
- Write your full name as you want it to be read; spell it out phonetically, if necessary.
- Write down ONLY one of your degrees or certificates. Only one will be read during the ceremony. See how to write the name of your degree on your card.
- You will leave your card at the podium during the rehearsal and will need to pick it up in the evening again.
- If you cannot attend the rehearsal, don't worry. Just plan to arrive early by 4:30
p.m. prior to the ceremony to receive a semi-filled card and further instructions
prior to lining up.
- Graduates line-up in no specific order; first to arrive, get front rows; last to arrive, get back rows.
- No saving of spots for other classmates once countdown begins
- See how to fill out your Graduate Information Card.
- Your name and one degree will be read form this card as you walk the stage.
- Line up is NOT in alphabetical order or by major. It's first come, first seated. See map of where graduates will line up.
Review the line up and seating instructions to determine if you will line up on the left row or right row under the bleachers.