Commencement

In late April, you will receive an email from Liberal Arts Student Records letting you know when you can pick up your name card. You are required to bring your name card with you to the commencement ceremony and carry it with you to the stage platform. Please be sure to fill out the back of the card as this is how Grad Images will contact you regarding the photos taken at commencement. Please do not fold or alter the card in any way. If this happens, the cards may stick together and as a result, your name might not be called. If you misplace your card, do not make a replacement card. You may obtain another card immediately prior to the ceremony at the registration tables located as you enter the event floor. 

Academic regalia (i.e., cap and gown) is required and can be ordered through the Penn State Bookstore. No other adornment is approved. Due to the formality of the occasion, it is suggested that students wear a suit; slacks, a dress shirt, and a tie; slacks with a blouse; or a dress. Flip flops and extremely high heels are not recommended. 

Update your permanent home address via LionPATH prior to commencement so that you receive your diploma. Diplomas are not distributed at the commencement ceremony because graduation certification takes place during the following weeks. Students who have completed all requirements will receive their diplomas in the mail. 

Complete your post-grad survey. In April, you will receive a link to a brief five-minute, confidential survey. The questions in the survey focus on your undergraduate experiences, as well as your current or future career plans. 

Guests 

Parking
Traffic may be congested on commencement day due to other ceremonies on campus; therefore, we recommend that you plan to be in the vicinity of the Bryce Jordan Center by 3:30 p.m. in order to find parking. Please do not arrive any earlier than this as you may disrupt an earlier ceremony already in progress. Parking is available in Lot 44, Stadium West, and Porter North. Drivers will be directed to the appropriate lot by University Police and event parking staff based on the traffic and parking conditions at the time of their arrival. Please use caution while traveling through this area of campus and allow extra time to reach your destination. There is no fee for parking. ADA parking is available in the section of Lot 44 near Gate B, just across from the All-Sports Museum, and in the first row of spaces along Curtin Road at Stadium West, across from the Bryce Jordan Center’s ticket office. View the Bryce Jordan Center Commencement Parking Interactive Map. Get directions to the Bryce Jordan Center. 

Bag Policy
The Bryce Jordan Center utilizes walk-through metal detectors at all entry gates and restrictions on the size and type of bag that may be carried into the arena for all events.

Permitted bags include:

• Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12”.
• One-gallon clear plastic freezer bag (Ziploc bag or similar).
• Small clutch bags, with or without a handle or strap, that do not exceed 4.5” x 6.5” x 1”.

An exception will be made for medically necessary items that cannot fit into a clear bag, after proper inspection. No backpacks allowed.

Fans will be asked to return non-approved bags or other prohibited items to their vehicle prior to arena entry. There is no check-in location for prohibited bags or items at the Bryce Jordan Center.

All media representatives with necessary bags and equipment must enter the Bryce Jordan Center at the media entrance to have each item inspected and tagged prior to entering the Bryce Jordan Center.

Limit one bag per guest.

View the Bryce Jordan Center’s bag policy for more information and answers to frequently asked questions.                

Seating for guests with disabilities
Reserved seat tickets will not be needed, but guests with disabilities should arrive by 3:30 p.m. in order to avoid the last-minute rush. Inside the Founders Lounge entrance, ushers will be available to assist in taking individuals via elevator to the appropriate seating located on the concourse level. Due to space limitations, only one person may accompany the guest with a disability in the accessible seating area. The chairs in this seating area are plastic, armless, and portable to allow for the movement of wheelchairs. Other family members may sit in the regular seating located throughout the arena. 

Students 

Enter the Bryce Jordan Center through Gate B or C. (Your guests may enter through any gate.) Ushers will direct you to your seat on the event floor. Look for signs for your major on the back of the first chair in each row. You may sit in any chair in the appropriate section unless it is marked “reserved.” 

A seating chart is included in the digital program for the event. It is very important to sit in the section designated for your major. Failure to do so will result in your name being called with the incorrect major. 

Remain seated in your major area until college staff usher you to the stage platform during the ceremony. Students will walk to the stage platform within their major groups. (Students in concurrent majors will cross the stage platform once, each in the Liberal Arts major with which they are seated.) Your name card will be scanned, which will trigger your name being said over the speakers.  

Remain seated after the ceremony until your row is called by college staff marshals. When called, you will recess in single file down the main center aisle. Prior to the ceremony, please arrange to meet your family and guests outside the Bryce Jordan Center after the ceremony. You will not be permitted to re-enter the main event area. Additionally, remember that you are expected to remain in attendance for the duration of the ceremony. It is disrespectful to the college, to the families in attendance, and to your fellow graduates to leave early.  

Cell phone use is not permitted during the formal academic ceremony. If you must bring your phone to the ceremony, please turn it off before the ceremony begins. 

For graduates with disabilities
Penn State encourages graduates with disabilities to participate in the commencement ceremonies. It is very important that you notify Steven Sherman in Liberal Arts Student Records (814-863-3870) by April 21 if you anticipate needing any type of special accommodation or have questions about accessibility.