Student Procession Instructions
Please be on Time!
THE CEREMONY BEGINS AT 2:00 P.M. SO STUDENTS MUST BE ON-SITE NO LATER THAN 1:20 P.M.
Logistics
At the conclusion of the University Commencement Ceremony in Notre Dame Stadium, everybody—including students—must exit via the tunnel. Only once all students have exited after the University ceremony will Arts & Letters students be allowed to re-enter the north tunnel to pick up their card.
Food and Drink
A variety of food trucks will be available immediately south of Notre Dame Stadium after the University’s Commencement Ceremony. The food trucks and campus retail outlets will provide opportunities for campus guests to purchase food immediately after the University’s Commencement Ceremony.
Furthermore, snacks and water will be provided for A&L graduates. After exiting the north tunnel at the conclusion of the University Commencement Ceremony, you may enter back into Gate A (northeast gate) and proceed to the nearest concession stand to pick up a snack bag.
Health and Safety Protocols
During the Diploma Ceremony in Notre Dame Stadium, masking will be optional for all graduates who are vaccinated, as well as the official Platform Party. Distanced seating (3 feet apart) will remain in place for graduates. Notre Dame faculty and staff, as well as the families and guests of our graduates coming to campus from across the country and around the world, will be asked to wear masks at Commencement.
Guest Tickets and Seating
Each graduate will receive 4 guest tickets for their outdoor diploma ceremony (information on how to reserve guest tickets has been distributed to students by the Office of the Registrar). Tickets are free but assigned to each graduate. All tickets will be electronic, scanned upon entry, and may not be sold, transferred or duplicated. Guests should enter the Stadium through Gates B & D (the southern gates facing the parking lots). Please note the Stadium Bag Policy will be enforced. The ceremony will also be live-streamed.
Student Instructions
Report to the North Tunnel of the Stadium to pick up your diploma card at the assigned time based on your primary major:
12:50 P.M. - Social Sciences (Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology)
1:05 P.M. - Humanities (Africana Studies, American Studies, Classics, East Asian Languages & Cultures, English, German and Russian Languages & Literatures, History, Irish Language & Literature, Philosophy, Program of Liberal Studies, Romance Languages & Literatures, Theology)
1:20 P.M. - Arts (Art, Art History, & Design, Film, Television, & Theater, Music)
Tables will be set up alphabetically, (A-F), (G-K), (L-P), and (Q-Z.), just inside the North Tunnel entrance, cards will be distributed until 1:50 P.M. There are approximately 750 diploma cards that we need to distribute, so it is important that you get in line ASAP to pick up your card.
After you pick up your card, please proceed to your assigned seat (noted on your diploma card) on the field of the Stadium. There will not be a graduate procession.
The Platform Party will process into the Stadium beginning at 1:57 P.M. The diploma ceremony will convene promptly at 2:00 P.M.
As Ushers call your row to line up to receive your diploma, you must have your diploma card in hand; you will hand your card to the person at the top of the steps, you will be directed by that person when to proceed. Your name will be read as you receive your empty diploma jacket from Associate Dean Mary Flannery; you will then walk across the stage and stop at the X to greet Dean Mustillo (a photographer will take your photo at this time The photographer will later contact you with opportunities to purchase the pictures). You will then loop around and walk back behind the seats on the platform to the exit ramp. There will be a second photographer as you exit the ramp who will take your photo in front of a backdrop.
Weather
In the event of rain, the diploma ceremony will continue outdoors in the stadium, so please plan accordingly. In the event of severe weather, the diploma ceremony will move indoors to the Joyce Center. For any ceremony moved indoors, our priority will be to seat our graduates, and distanced seating in these indoor venues. This will unfortunately only allow us to accommodate one in-person guest per graduate. The ND Alert system, local television stations, and the commencement.nd.edu website will alert students about the changes of venue, should that be necessary.
More information
If you need assistance at any time, Arts and Letters Ushers will be on-site to help. Those assisting inside the Stadium will be wearing blue or gray polo shirts.
For more information visit commencement.nd.edu/2021
Have a wonderful graduation day and congratulations!