IU will hold two Winter Commencement ceremonies at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Dec. 15 at the IU Auditorium, located at 1211 E. Seventh St.
Schools participating in the 11 a.m. ceremony include the Kelley School of Business, Maurer School of Law, School of Medicine, School of Optometry, School of Social Work, Jacobs School of Music, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, School of Education, School of Nursing and School of Public Health.
The 3 p.m. ceremony will include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Media School, Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture, and Design, the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies and the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Graduates receiving degrees from the Graduate School will join the school closest to their field of study.
Here is what guests and graduates alike can expect at 2023 Winter Commencement:
Schedule
Graduates in the 11 a.m. ceremony should arrive at the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, located at 275 N. Eagleson Ave., by 9:30 a.m. The auditorium doors will open for guests at 9:30 a.m.
The procession will begin at 10:45 a.m., and the ceremony will begin at 11:00 a.m. A recession will follow the ceremony at approximately 12:30 p.m. outside.
Graduates in the 3 p.m. ceremony should arrive at Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center by 1:30 p.m. Doors will open for guests at 1:30 p.m.
Procession will begin at 2:45 p.m., and the ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. A recession will follow the ceremony at approximately 4:30 p.m. outside.
Parking
Free parking and shuttle services will be available at Henderson Garage located at 310 S. Fess Ave. and Poplars Garage located at 415 E. Sixth St. Shuttles will run from 8:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Free parking will also be available near the IU Auditorium at East Garage located at 150 N. Eagleson Ave.
A map and more parking information can be found on IU’s website.
Seating
The ceremony is free to attend. Graduates may bring as many guests as they wish, but guest seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Ushers will be available to assist.
Graduate seating is organized by school in the seats nearest to the stage. Graduates may sit anywhere within their school’s designated section.
Guidelines regarding accessible seating can be found on IU’s website.
Ceremony
Each school’s dean will recognize undergraduate and master’s degree graduates together. No individual names will be announced.
Doctoral degree candidates, however, will be announced and hooded individually.
A recession outside IU Auditorium will follow the ceremony. Graduates must return their gown apparel but are welcome to keep caps, tassels and cords. They may also keep their stoles of gratitude, the neckpiece graduates traditionally give to a loved one.
Reminders
Graduates should wear business or business casual clothing, arrive with their cap and gown on and stay for the entire ceremony. Personal items such as umbrellas or briefcases should not be brought to the ceremony.
Guests should arrive early for the best seats. Large groups should wait until all members are present as saving seats is prohibited. Guests may also pre-order a bouquet of flowers and photos for the ceremony.
More information regarding the ceremony can be found on IU’s website.
