Complimentary parking and shuttle service to and from the Auditorium is offered in either Henderson or Poplars garages. At the garages, you will be met by IU Auditorium staff, board the shuttle, then take the short ride to the Auditorium. After the ceremony concludes, shuttles will be available in front of IU Auditorium to take you back to the garage. Shuttles will be looping from 8:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. to both Henderson and Poplars garages from IU Auditorium. Complimentary parking is also available in the East Garage.
Accessible parking is located next to the IU Auditorium in Lot #366 off Seventh Street for those with State-issued disability tags or mobility needs. Drivers may drop off guests who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility near the entrance of IU Auditorium and those guests may enter the building where it is comfortable to wait until drivers have parked their vehicles and returned to the building.
If you or someone from your party is in need of accessibility assistance upon arrival to the IU Auditorium, please connect with one of our staff members in a blue blazer in front of the Auditorium.
Graduate seating is arranged by school and occupies the sections nearest to the stage. Graduates do not line up alphabetically so they may be seated anywhere within a school’s section.
Faculty who are hooding a Ph.D. or doctoral candidate should meet the graduate inside the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. You will walk in the procession and be seated together during the ceremony.
Tickets are not issued for Commencement, and graduates can bring as many guests as they wish. Guest seating is offered on a first-come, first-served basis in sections not reserved for graduates. Ushers will be stationed throughout the building to direct guests to the best possible seats.
Accessible seating is available for guests in wheelchairs and with limited mobility. Venue staff are trained to assist with special seating for guests in wheelchairs and with limited mobility. See the accessibility accommodations page for more information.
Graduates will meet at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre inside the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center no later than 10 a.m. for the 11 a.m. ceremony and 2 p.m. for the 3 p.m. ceremony. During lineup, graduates will be directed to their specific school locations, designated by signage.
Faculty who are hooding a Ph.D. or doctoral candidate should meet the graduate inside the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. You will walk in the procession and be seated together during the ceremony.
Full of pageantry and traditions, Commencement is the grand culmination of your college journey—and it is an experience you’ll remember and cherish! The ceremony includes remarks from President Whitten and the provost, a student speaker, induction into the Indiana University Alumni Association, and the conferral of degrees.
During the conferral of degrees, candidates for all undergraduate and master’s degrees are recognized together by their school deans. Because of the large number of graduates, individual names (other than Ph.D. and doctorate candidates) are not announced.
Candidates for Ph.D.’s and doctorate degrees will be introduced individually and hooded on the stage.
Remember, all graduates participating in Commencement will receive a lovely Indiana University diploma cover at the ceremony. Your diploma will be mailed to your home address at a later date.
Graduates who complete all requirements by their programs’ stated deadlines will have their names printed in the Commencement program. Programs will be provided at the ceremony or you can download a program.
If you are not sure if you met your program’s deadline, please contact the recorder’s office in your school.
If your name has changed since you became an IU student, please contact the Commencement team at iudegree@indiana.edu.
Graduates will be part of a recession out of IU Auditorium and should arrange a meeting place with family and friends nearby.
Graduates must return their apparel in the mailer provided by Herff Jones. Failure to return apparel may result in a fine, so do not skip this important step. Caps, tassels, cords, and stoles of gratitude (for undergraduate degrees) do not need to be returned; keep them as mementos of this exciting day!
