Graduation
Graduation 2025
The Haywood Community College 2025 Curriculum Commencement Ceremonies are tentatively scheduled for Thursday, May 15, and Friday, May 16, 2025. Additional information will be provided closer to the date.
All ceremonies will take place in the Charles M. Beall Auditorium in Hemlock Building, and are free to attend.
If you are interested in watching the graduations via live stream, please visit HCC's YouTube Channel. Live Streams can be found on the Live tab on the main YouTube page.
Rehearsal
For the 2025 commencement ceremonies, graduates will not participate in a traditional rehearsal of the ceremony processional. Instead, all graduates will need to refer to the Rehearsal Walk-through video.
Pictures
HCC has a professional photographer to take photographs of students as they receive their awards on stage. Information for ordering photographs is provided in the digital graduation packet sent to each potential graduate.
Please inform your family members in attendance that we request no flash photography during the ceremony to reduce distractions.
Arrival Instructions
All graduates have been asked to park in the Alder Building and must report to Student Services upper-level, Hemlock Building, for further processional instructions. All guests must report to the Charles M. Beall Auditorium lower-level, Hemlock Building, for entrance. The auditorium will open approximately 45-minutes in advance of the listed ceremony times.
Haywood Community College is a tobacco-free campus.
Parking
All faculty, staff, and graduates have been asked to park at the Alder Building to leave plenty of room for guests in the Hemlock Building parking lots. Additional handicap spaces will be blocked off on both sides of the Hemlock building. If someone in your family needs special accommodations, please notify us so we can provide the help they need at HCC-Graduation@haywood.edu.
Graduation Cords
If you are graduating with honors, you will receive your cord when you are lined up for the procession. Students graduating with honors will receive a white cord based on the following:
cum laude (with praise)
magna cum laude (with high praise)
summa cum laude (with highest praise).
Other cords include:
Haywood Early College - Purple and gray tassel and medallion
Future Cosmetologist Association - Pink cord
Medical Assisting - Peacock blue and silver cord
National Society of Leadership and Success - Red cord or black/white cord
National Technical Honor Society - Silver/purple cord
Phi Theta Kappa - Gold stole (on loan through PTK advisor)
Student Ambassador - Silver cord (provided during processional)
Student Government Association - Teal cord (provided during processional)
Veterans - Red, white, and blue cord (provided during processional)
Floral Arrangements
Floral arrangements, graduation gifts, and select HCC merchandise will be provided in the Charles M. Beall Auditorium and are available for purchase the day of.
Dress Code
It is required that all graduates wear the approved regalia: black gown, cap, cords, and tassel (begin the ceremony with tassels on the right). Please do not make any modifications to your regalia gown.
Graduates may order cap and gown by visiting HerffJones.com or contacting the HCC Bookstore for regalia options – 828-565-4129.
Under your cap and gown, we ask that you wear nice clothes and shoes (no flip flops). We caution against high heels, as wearing them increases the chances of falling while walking up and/or across the stage.
When Will You Receive Your Degree?
Please note, during the ceremony, each graduate will receive a Haywood Community College diploma cover. Haywood Early College students will receive a Haywood Early College diploma cover. All graduates who have completed the requirements for graduation will need to have their awards conferred (a process of approving all classes were satisfactorily completed) and will take approximately three-four weeks after the ceremony before they are printed and made available. At that time, final transcripts with award conferrals will be available for order as well.
Lodging Accommodations for Out-of-Town Students and Guests
Parties traveling from out of town are encouraged to visit the following link to view lodging accommodations in and around Clyde, NC - https://visitncsmokies.com/accommodations/.
Waynesville Inn and Golf Club
828.452.9611