Tacoma Community College will hold a hybrid Commencement on Saturday, June 12 (10 am-3 pm).
The online component is a video of an entire pre-filmed graduation ceremony, featuring Yolonda Williams, Commencement Speaker, and Melissa Littleton, Associated Students of Tacoma Community College (ASTCC) President. See the 2021 Commencement page for details.
The in-person component begins at 10 a.m., at which time graduates are invited to “roll through” the campus parking lots in their vehicles, starting from TCC’s 12th Street entrance and looping around the campus to exit from Lot E. The event has been planned to accommodate numerous graduates, family members, staff and faculty in a safe and socially distanced way. Features of the Commencement Parade include:
- Graduates will be able to have family members with them in their cars.
- TCC will live-stream the Commencement Parade on the tacomacc.edu home page.
- Cars will be loaned to graduates who do not have vehicles. Thanks to Sunset Chevrolet for providing the vehicles.
- Graduates will be assigned times to roll-through with other members of their programs.
- Graduates will drive through a socially distanced cheering tunnel composed of TCC staff and faculty.
- Graduates will stop at a stage to hear their names read and to receive their diploma covers.
- Each graduate will receive a Commencement Box, including regalia, a Commencement program, and other paraphernalia. Boxes are being mailed to graduates who choose not to participate in the roll-through.
- After accepting their diplomas, graduates will continue to a celebration area where they will receive cupcakes and other items.
- Graduates will exit the campus onto Mildred Street without leaving their vehicles.
Traffic Impacts
Aside from possible heavy traffic near the TCC 12th Street Entrance, traffic impacts are expected to be minimal:
- The Park & Ride near the corner of 19th and Mildred will be closed during the event.
- The Transit Center on the corner of 19th and Mildred will remain open.
- All TCC entrances and exits except the 12th Street entrance and the Parking Lot E to Mildred exit will be closed during the event.
- TCC has retained off-duty police officers to direct traffic at the event entrance and exit.
- See the TCC Map for details.
