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 about 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 graduates of the School of Arts & Sciences, the Robins School of Business, and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies is Sunday, May 11, at 2 p.m. Doors will open at noon.
• The School of Professional & Continuing Studies ceremony is Saturday, May 10, at 9 a.m. Doors will open at 7:30 a.m.
• The Richmond School of Law ceremony is Saturday, May 10, 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.

TICKETS AND SEATING

All seating for any Commencement weekend ceremony is general admission.

For those participating in the Sunday, May 11, 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.

PERMITTED AND PROHIBITED ITEMS

• 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.
• If you attempt to bring any of these items into the Robins Center, you will be asked to take 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.
• Please leave pets and emotional support animals at home. Service animals are allowed.

In addition to the details above, you can also find a wealth of additional information on the Commencement website.

We will 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!

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 occasion.  

CEREMONY SPEAKERS

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

• Tom Barkin, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, will address University of Richmond graduates during the main Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 11. 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 Peterson Haas.
• Stephanie Grana, partner of the personal injury law firm of Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci and a University of Richmond and Richmond School of Law alum, will address law graduates. For this ceremony, the faculty speaker is Jack Preis, and the student speaker is Rita Orozco.
• 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 undergraduate student Richard M. Bagby, alum Sabrina M. Guerin, and associate adjunct professor Sarah B. Calveric.

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, which you can access here. 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 11, 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 on May 11, and we ask that guests fill every seat available. As we communicated with graduates earlier this month, due to the overwhelming interest in the main ceremony, we are no longer accepting additional ticket requests, effective April 7.

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

In addition to the ceremonies, a number of Commencement-related events will be held starting on Friday, May 9, 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.

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.

The final countdown is on! We are less than one week away from celebrating Commencement weekend at the University of Richmond. Commencement is a time-honored tradition and provides the wonderful opportunity to celebrate not only the hard work and accomplishments of our graduates but to also honor family and friends who have worked so hard to support them.

We are writing today with important reminders that will allow everyone to enjoy this weekend as we honor and uplift the achievements of our graduating students. Thank you in advance for your support in making Commencement a wonderful experience for everyone. 

WEEKEND SCHEDULE

In addition to the ceremonies, a variety of Commencement-related events will be held starting on Friday, May 9, for graduating students and their families to enjoy. The full weekend schedule of events is posted here.

VENUE & CEREMONY DETAILS

All Commencement ceremonies taking place on May 10 and 11 are being held in the Robins Center Arena, located at 365 College Road, Richmond, Virginia, 23173.

• The main Commencement ceremony for graduates of the School of Arts & Sciences, the Robins School of Business, and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies is Sunday, May 11, at 2 p.m. Doors will open at noon.
• The School of Professional & Continuing Studies ceremony is Saturday, May 10, at 9 a.m. Doors will open at 7:30 a.m.
• The Richmond School of Law ceremony is Saturday, May 10, at 2 p.m. Doors will open at 1 p.m.

You can find our top “Know Before You Go” tips, including a list of permitted and prohibited items, here. A few specific reminders to help you navigate the weekend include: 

Parking 

The entire area near the Robins Center, including all buildings and parking lots, is closed for Commencement-related events only from Friday, May 9, through Sunday, May 11. Staff will be on-site directing parking for guests. Parking information is available here.

Tickets

For graduates of the Sunday, May 11, main Commencement ceremony, please make sure your family members and guests have print or digital copies of their tickets. Each guest over the age of two attending the Sunday ceremony is required to present their Commencement ticket, which has a unique code and will be scanned by event staff upon entry. 

Entry

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. 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.

Full House

We are expecting our venue to be nearly at capacity for the May 11 main Commencement ceremony. Please fill every seat available to ensure room for all guests. 

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

SAFETY AND SECURITY

As with other major events on our campus, security measures are in place to ensure the safety of our community. Officers from the University of Richmond Police Department as well as staff from RMC events will be on-site. 

Our top priority is a successful event that celebrates the achievements of our extraordinary graduates and the support of their families and friends. For that reason, we ask all attendees to show respect for our graduates and avoid conduct that disrupts the ceremony. Any person who disrupts the ceremony, especially if loud or sustained, may be asked to leave, or be removed from the ceremony. Disruptive behavior could include, but is not limited to, stomping, shouting, chanting, and blocking rows, pathways, or exits. We want to ensure all guests can see and hear the ceremony clearly and that no attendees block or disrupt other guests.

COMMENCEMENT REGALIA

At this point, all graduates should already be in possession of the regalia they will wear during the Commencement ceremony, including cords, sashes, etc. Any additional items must have already been approved by the Regalia Subcommittee. If graduates have not received approval from the Regalia Subcommittee for additional items, we ask that they not wear those items to the Commencement ceremony. Mortar Board caps are allowed to be decorated, but they must not block another person’s view or have vulgar language, which includes profanity or derogatory terms. 

DIGITAL PROGRAM AND LIVESTREAM

In addition to limited print copies, a digital program will be available for each Commencement ceremony. Look for the QR code as you enter the arena. 

A livestream of each ceremony will be available on the Commencement website and the University’s YouTube channel by Friday, May 16. 

We look forward to celebrating with you this weekend!