Doors open at 9:30 am, and we anticipate a crowd of 4,500 people on the day of the event. Guests will need general admission tickets to enter the convention hall. Seating will be available solely on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will close at 10:15 am for approximately 15 minutes as the stage party and graduating students proceed into the hall. Guests should plan to arrive prior to 10:15 am or prepare to wait until the doors reopen at approximately 10:30 am.

Paid parking is available in a garage attached to the Rhode Island Convention Center. For other options visit parkdowntownprovidence.com.

Yes. Graduating students can provide information about the needs of their guests when reserving tickets for the ceremony. People planning to attend may also contact Student Affairs at commencement@risd.edu or 401 454–6600 well in advance for information on entry and seating arrangements. The Convention Center is an accessible building, and the ceremony takes place in a single-level convention hall (no stairs). Accessible parking spots are available in the Convention Center garage.

Guests with mobility needs requiring shuttle service from campus to receptions on Friday, June 2 or the Commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 3 should call RISD Rides at 401 427-6915. RISD Rides drivers are professionally licensed chauffeurs who have undergone background checks by First Transit. RISD Rides drivers wear a First Transit uniform and a photo badge that you may ask to see at any time.

The procession, speeches, awards presentations and other pomp and circumstance generally take more than two hours. Even though the Class of 2017 now numbers more than 700, RISD still prefers to read the name of each individual graduate as they walk across the stage. Graduates receive their official diplomas immediately after the ceremony (see below).

Graduates will be directed to the Registrar’s table immediately after the ceremony to collect their official diploma.

There will be limited accommodations available in traditional-style residence halls during Commencement weekend. For families seeking an affordable space on campus, please email housing@risd.edu.

An ASL translator will be on stage during the Graduate Hooding Ceremony on Friday, June 2, as well as at Commencement. In addition, translated programs in Mandarin, Korean and Spanish will be available available at Will Call.

The annual PVDFest arts celebration will take place in Providence from June 1-4. Please visit PVDFest.com to find out more about the event and parkdowntownprovidence.com for street closure and parking information.

Each year graduating seniors create an original design for the RISD Yearbook. Students who pre-ordered a yearbook will receive an email when their copy arrives in May.

Please email csi@risd.edu with any questions.

RISD does not offer an official class ring, but several alternative options are available at RISD WORKS.

Jewelry + Metalsmithing faculty member Johan Van Aswegen has designed an adjustable ring featuring the original RISD emblem. (See a short promo video about the ring here.) In addition, alumna Pearl Ng 98 ID created the RISD ROCKS Ring, which can be ordered online through RISD WORKS.

Plan to pick up your cap and gown at the RISD Store between May 30 and June 1 from 8:30 am–6:30 pm, or on June 2 from 8:30 am-1 pm. You’re encouraged to personalize and embellish your cap and gown in any way you’d like. If you have not already placed an order, you may still be able to pick up a cap and gown the week before Commencement on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you have questions about your cap and gown, contact the RISD Store at risdstore@risd.edu.

Every graduating student receives an academic diploma designed by the late John Howard Benson, a distinguished sculptor and calligrapher who taught at RISD from 1931-44. Alumna Alba Corrado 60 PT, a longtime faculty member in Experimental and Foundation Studies, meticulously hand-letters each diploma.

At the Friday morning rehearsal, you’ll also receive a “design diploma”—a unique commemorative object designed by a member of the graduating class. And when you walk across the stage on Saturday, you’ll receive a scroll of paper in lieu of your actual Benson diploma, which you need to pick up from the Registrar's table after the ceremony.

GradImages is the official photographer for your school. Your roofs may be ready to view as 48 hours after the ceremony. If you have any questions about ordering your photos, please contact the GradImages Customer Service Department at 800 261-2576 or via email at giservice@gradimages.net.

In order to notify you when your images are available, GradImages sends emails and mails paper proofs, along with optional text message notifications. Your information is never shared and privacy is guaranteed. Pre-registering is simply a way to make sure your contact information is up-to-date with GradImages, so they can provide your complimentary proofs as quickly as possible. It is also a way to share your proofs with your family and friends as soon as they are ready to view! Although there's never any obligation to order, you'll save 20% off any order of $50 or more for your participation. To pre-register for your commencement proofs, please visit http://GradImages.com/Preregistration

Also, when you pre-register with GradImages, you will automatically be entered into our Sweepstakes for a chance to win $5,000!

The Senior Gift this year is the Class of 2017 Scholarship Fund. The class has already raised more than $1,000 for this scholarship, which will make another RISD student's life a little bit easier next year.

If you wish to help with this scholarship fund, please make a gift of $20.17 in honor of our graduation year—or give whatever dollar amount is meaningful for you. Every contribution makes a difference, no matter the size. Donations can be made using RISD Bucks, cash or credit card. Donations can be made online by visiting support.risd.edu. All graduating students who contribute to the Senior Class Gift will receive a special tassel to wear at Commencement.

All Brown | RISD Dual Degree graduates give a Capstone Presentation that draws upon their experiences at both institutions, describing the connections they've made between different fields of study and how the pursuit of a dual degree has advanced their work and learning. All presentations are open to families, the Brown and RISD communities and the general public.

Brown University | Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts | Martinos Auditorium | 154 Angell Street (date and time tbd)

Following the Capstone Presentations, the Brown | RISD Dual Degree Program will hold a celebratory dinner at RISD's Metcalf Auditorium and Chace Center for all graduating BRDD students. Graduating BRDD students are asked to RSVP through an email form sent to their Brown and RISD email addresses. Degree recipients can reserve up to three (3) tickets for family and guests to attend.

Chace Center | Metcalf Auditorium | 20 North Main Street (date and time tbd)

On-campus graduating students: housing will be extended through Senior Week. All graduating students must move out by 12 pm on June 5.

Off-campus graduating students: students who are unable to extend their leases past June 1 can reserve a temporary space from June 1 to June 5 by completing the Commencement Housing Form by May 1.

Please contact Residence Life with further questions at housing@risd.edu or 401 454-6650.

Alumni Cards

We’ll hand these out during Senior Week. Once you graduate, you cannot borrow books from the library without this little beauty. After Commencement, visit Alumni Relations on Dyer St to pick up your card.

Your RISD ID access to campus buildings will end one week after graduation, as will free RIPTA bus access. After that time contact Alumni Relations at 401 709-8585 for a campus building access code, which changes weekly.

Your RISD Alumni Email Account

One week after Commencement your RISD email account will be renamed to username@alumni.risd.edu. Your password will not change but you will need to use your new address to log into your account. Emails sent to your old email address will be delivered to your new email address. Additional information may be found on alumni.risd.edu.

Your Student Network Storage / Web Space

As of June 11, files and websites stored by graduating students on the RISD network will no longer be accessible. Log in to your network storage space to download all files you wish to keep. Contact the Office of Information Technology at servicedesk@risd.edu for more information.

REAL TALK:

JOBS + MONEY

Even after graduation, career advisors are glad to meet with you in person or by phone to talk about next professional steps. They can help you with your search for jobs, freelance, exhibition opportunities, grants, residencies, fellowships and other career pursuits. Visit RISD Careers for resources like ArtWorks, RISD’s exclusive online job and opportunity board for up-to-date postings.

Feeling nervous about loans? Use SALT, RISD’s easy, online loan counseling service. Visit saltmoney.org to learn how to pay off your loans more quickly and get a better handle on your finances.

CONNECT:

ALUMNI RESOURCES

We encourage you to follow RISD Alumni Association and RISD Careers on Facebook and Twitter, where we frequently post helpful information for alumni. RISD has over 48 clubs and contacts around the world, in places like New York and NorCal as well as Korea, India and Tokyo. RISD's alumni network helps connect graduates with clubs for help with jobs and housing, as well as general support. A growing number of graduates also stay connected through RISD’s giant LinkedIn group, Rhode Island School of Design Alumni—a valuable way to link up with other alumni while searching for jobs.

GET NOTICED:

PLACES TO SHOW WORK

Want to participate in an Alumni Sale? Email alumnisale@risd.edu to get notified about future sale applications. Share your work on RISD Portfolios, join our RISD Etsy Team or careers@risd.edu to get on RISD’s curated Kickstarter page.

If you haven't already received official confirmation that you're cleared to graduate, please confirm your status with the Registrar's Office.

All seniors are invited to submit proposals for this year's Design Diploma, a tradition that dates back to the early 1970s when students began creating alternatives to the official hand-lettered paper diplomas issued by the Registrar. Previous classes have received everything from a giant cookie baked in the Foundry to a “FRISD" (a RISD frisbee), a snow globe, a skywritten congratulatory message and more. Cost-per-unit restrictions apply, along with the means to fabricate more than 600 diplomas for the event.

Graduating Students Week, a series of gatherings celebrating the transition from student to alumni status, runs from Monday, May 29 through Thursday, June 2.

Please email commencement@risd.edu or call Student Affairs at 401-454-6600. Veronica Hallisey will be happy to respond.