Messages to Students

Dear Graduates, Families, and Guests,

We are looking forward to celebrating with you next month during Commencement weekend at the University of Richmond. As we count down to the ceremonies less than one month away, we are writing today with our top “Know Before You Go” tips. Thank you in advance for reviewing this information and sharing it with those you’ve invited to celebrate this occasion.

VENUE, CEREMONY DETAILS, AND PARKING

All Commencement ceremonies are held in the Robins Center Arena, located at 365 College Rd., Richmond, Virginia, 23173.

• The main Commencement ceremony for graduating seniors earning a bachelor’s degree from the School of Arts & Sciences, the Robins School of Business, and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies is Sunday, May 10, at 2 p.m. Doors will open at noon.
• The School of Professional & Continuing Studies ceremony is Saturday, May 9, at 9 a.m. Doors will open at 7:30 a.m.
• The Richmond School of Law ceremony is Saturday, May 9, at 2 p.m. Doors will open at 1 p.m.

As is routine for major events at the Robins Center, guests will pass through metal detectors when entering the venue, including if reentering.

Late arrivals and reentry will be handled by event staff on a case-by-case basis to minimize disruptions and noise. Commencement staff will guide you to enter the arena at an appropriate time.

Parking information is available here. Accessibility information is available here.

In addition to Commencement ceremonies, there are a variety of other activities going on around campus throughout the weekend of May 9–10, including Athletics events, so families and guests should plan to allow ample time for arrival and parking.

TICKETS AND SEATING

All seating for any Commencement weekend ceremony is general admission.

For those participating in the Sunday, May 10, main Commencement ceremony, each guest is required to present their Commencement ticket, which has a unique code and will be scanned by event staff upon entry. Anyone over the age of two must have a ticket. We are expecting our venue to be nearly at capacity for the main ceremony and ask that guests fill every seat available.

The deadline has now passed to request additional tickets for the main Commencement ceremony. Those who requested additional tickets have been individually updated via email.

PERMITTED AND PROHIBITED ITEMS

To allow for smooth entry into the Robins Center, please review these details:

• Purses and crossbody bags are allowed and subject to a visual inspection.
• Backpacks as well as outside food or drinks or reusable cups and water bottles are not allowed.
• As part of a longstanding policy, noise makers (air horns, cowbells, whistles, etc.), signage of any kind, or any other items that would block a person’s view, including large flags and banners, will not be allowed in the Robins Center. This policy applies to all graduates, families, and guests.
• Flower bouquets are allowed inside the arena; however, any other packages, balloons, gifts, candy, etc. are not permitted.
• Please leave pets and emotional support animals at home. Service animals are allowed.

If you attempt to bring any prohibited items into the Robins Center, you will be asked to bring them back to your vehicle or dispose of them prior to entering the arena. For safety and logistical purposes, we are unable to store items for guests. Signage reminding guests of prohibited items will be posted in each parking lot.

New this year: A SpiderShop pop up will be open inside the Robins Center Arena for families and guests to purchase a variety of small gifts and other items.

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND

In addition to the details above, you can also find a wealth of additional information on the Commencement website, including the full weekend schedule and information about reserving seats and purchasing tickets for the graduation meal at the Heilman Dining Center.

We will continue to be in touch with important details and reminders as we approach Commencement weekend. In the coming weeks, graduates will also continue to receive direct communications with ceremony-specific details from the Registrar’s office and Commencement team.

We look forward to celebrating with you soon!

Sincerely, 

The Commencement Team 

Dear Graduates, Families, and Guests, 

We are about two weeks away from celebrating Commencement weekend at the University of Richmond. As the countdown continues, we are writing today with information that will be helpful as you and your guests plan your visit to our campus to celebrate this special occasion.  

CEREMONY SPEAKERS

We wanted to share with you the speakers who will address our graduates at various ceremonies.

• NFL star Kobie Turner will address University of Richmond graduates during the main Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 10. Turner is a UR alum who plays for the Los Angeles Rams. The student speaker during this ceremony for graduates of the School of Arts & Sciences, the Robins School of Business, and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies is Ben Nguyen.
• The Honorable Roger L. Gregory will address law graduates. Gregory, a trustee emeritus, is a United States Court of Appeals Judge for the Fourth Circuit, which includes the states of Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. For this ceremony, the faculty speaker is Cassie Powell, and the student speaker is Kayla Azzure Thomas.
• As part of a long-standing tradition, a graduating student, faculty member, and alum will speak at the SPCS graduation ceremony. This year’s speakers are Margaret Baly, student speaker, Jennifer Smith-Slabaugh, faculty speaker, and Tavorise Marks, alumni speaker.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

In our last message, we shared our top “Know Before You Go” tips, including a list of permitted and prohibited items. A few specific reminders we want to point out, include:

• As is routine for major events at the Robins Center, guests will pass through metal detectors when entering the venue, including if reentering. We ask that you allow plenty of time for this process.
• For those participating in the Sunday, May 10, main Commencement ceremony, each guest is required to present their Commencement ticket, which has a unique code and will be scanned by event staff upon entry. Anyone over the age of two must have a ticket.
• We are expecting our venue to be at capacity for the main ceremony on May 10, and we ask that guests fill every seat available.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

In addition to the ceremonies, a number of Commencement-related events will be held starting on Friday, May 8, for graduating students and their families to enjoy.

• The full weekend schedule of events is posted here.
• For graduating seniors in the School of Arts & Sciences, Jepson School of Leadership Studies, and Robins School of Business, our Candlelight Ceremony and Graduate Walk are signature events we hope you will join us for. Students have received more specifics about these events from the Center for Student Involvement. The student speaker for the Candlelight Ceremony is Gareth Woo.

You can also find a wealth of additional information on the Commencement website.

We are excited to celebrate with you soon and will be back in touch next week with any final details that will be helpful.

Sincerely,

The Commencement Team