The 2021 IU Bloomington Undergraduate Commencement ceremony, for all bachelor’s degree candidates, will be held Saturday, May 8, at 10 a.m. in Memorial Stadium, 701 E. 17th Street.
The ceremony lasts about 90 minutes. You do not need tickets, and there are no reserved seats. You may invite as many guests as you like.
All candidates for degrees must wear custom IU apparel at Commencement. Students rent their gowns and return them after the ceremony. Graduates keep their caps, tassels, and stoles of gratitude. Rental of May 2021 Commencement apparel will begin in January 2021. It will be shipped to students’ home addresses.
If you are a 2020 graduate who would like to take part in the 2021 Commencement, you are encouraged to do so. Gowns for 2020 graduates who rented and returned gowns in 2020 will be available rent-free for May 8.
Finding your place in the processional
Graduates are directed to their specific school locations (designated by bright red banners, such as “Education” and “Music”) to form the procession, which begins at 8:45 a.m.
Graduates should not bring umbrellas, briefcases, or any other personal items, as they cannot be stored in Mellencamp Pavilion. In addition, umbrellas are not permitted in Memorial Stadium, for either audience members or graduates.
Seating
Graduate seating is arranged by school and occupies the field in Memorial Stadium. Students do not line up alphabetically, and they process in through multiple doors, which means a grad may wind up anywhere in a school section. Please refer to the map below to see where graduates from each school are seated, keeping in mind that locations are approximate and subject to change.
Guest seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, and fills Memorial Stadium. Indiana University Bloomington is proud of the fact that it does not limit the number of guests a student may invite to Commencement, and we ask for everyone’s help in maintaining this tradition.
Uniformed ushers will be stationed throughout the stadium to direct all guests to the best possible seats. Given the size of the Commencement audience (more than 35,000), large parties are not allowed to save seats. Instead, we request that groups gather outside and then come in together, and ask an usher to help them find seats.
During the ceremony
Commencement is rich in tradition and pageantry. The ceremony includes the procession of the platform party, a Commencement speaker and a student address, induction of the graduates into the Alumni Association, and the conferral of degrees. All graduates stand and are recognized together by their school deans, but their names are not announced individually, as they number in the thousands.
Diploma covers and diplomas
Graduates receive handsome diploma covers during the ceremony. If graduates do not attend the ceremony, they can purchase diploma covers at the IU Bookstore. Whether you attend Commencement or not, your diploma will be mailed to your STUDENT HOME address (as specified in One.IU.edu) 8 to 12 weeks after your degree completion is verified.
After the ceremony
If possible, family and friends are encouraged to contact their graduates before the procession to designate a meeting place outside Memorial Stadium after the ceremony.
Grads must return apparel no later than Saturday, May 8, by 4 p.m., to the Herff Jones trailer on the grounds of Memorial Stadium. Failure to return apparel may result in a fine.
