Commencement

Tickets are required for admission to the Alumni Sports & Fitness Center.

Graduates are eligible for up to 5 guest Commencement tickets. Commencement tickets are electronic, or e-tickets, and are available to graduates through their Graduate Registration, MarchingOrder.

E-tickets are individually numbered and cannot be duplicated. All etickets are for general admission and not assigned to a specific seat. E-tickets must be presented at the door and may be printed or shown via a mobile device. All e-tickets will be scanned for entry. Entire parties are requested to gather inadvance when one individual pocesses all e-tickets. 

All guests ages three years and older should possess a ticket to enter, exit and re-enter the Alumni Sports & Fitness Center for the Commencement ceremony.

Commencement main doors open to guests at 8:30 a.m. 

All guest seating is general admission and seating is first come, first served; seating may not be reserved. E-tickets are individually numbered but are not associated with any seating assignment. 

The ceremony begins promptly at 10:00 a.m. with an academic processional. A seating hold will occur during the academic processional. All guests are to remain at their seats at the conclusion of the ceremony during the academic recessional. The F&M bell toll will mark the start and end of the ceremony. 

Large posters, balloons, or other large celebratory items may not enter the seating areas. No food or beverages are permitted in Schnader Field House.

Accessible Seating Accommodations

A limited number of accessible parking and seating options are available at the Commencement ceremony. Guests needing  additional assistance are encouraged to make advanced plans or arrangements and to arrive when doors open at 8:30 a.m.

All accessible seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Seats may not be reserved in advanced. All seats are plastic folding chairs. We encourage guests to bring a padded stadium seat if additional support or comfort is needed. 

Please be advised that the College does not provide wheelchairs. Guests who may need assistance into the venue or to their seats are encouraged to bring a wheelchair. All aisles must remain clear during the ceremony. Any walking aids must be safely stored away from the seating areas. Ceremony ushers are avaialble for additional assistance. Please contact commencement@fandm.edu to request or for questions about accessible seating.

Guests with disabilities may request event accommodations by completing the F&M Accessibility Event Request online form. Requests must be received two to three days before the event to be appropriately confirmed. Please contact commencement@fandm.edu for additional questions.

Getting to Campus

Check out the recommended routes for getting to F&M. Please plan for possible delays due to additional traffic and construction and road closures on the U.S. Route 222 and 30 interchange.

View driving directions

Parking

Shuttle service will operate continuously between the main parking areas from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. the day of the ceremony. Signage will indicate designated pick-up and drop-off locations. 

A limited number of accessible parking spaces are available. Parking spaces are first-come, first-served for guests with Persons with Disability Parking Placards. A designated drop-off location near the entry doors is available. Please see a parking attendant for additional assistance.

View the Commencement Parking Map

The 2024 Commencement ceremony will be live-streamed virtually and available on-demand. The livestream for Commencement 2024 will begin May 11 at 9 a.m. EST.

Watch via YouTube

An indoor viewing of the virtual Commencement livestream is also available at the Ann & Richard Barshinger Center for Musical Arts; tickets are not required. Doors open at 9:00 a.m.

International families joining us from around the globe may watch the ceremony via Zoom.

Graduate Photos

Legacy Photographics will be on campus to capture graduation portraits on February 2, 2024. Graduation portraits are optional. Print and digital photo packages are available for purchase at legacyphoto.com.

Ceremony Photos

The official Commencement photographer, Legacy Photographics, will capture off-stage portraits and graduates receiving their diplomas on stage during the ceremony. Print and digital photo packages are available for purchase at legacyphoto.com.

May 10

3 p.m. | Graduate Rehearsal

All graduates participating in the in-person Commencement ceremony must attend the graduate rehearsal. 

4 p.m. | Lux et Lex Walk

Graduating seniors walk the campus and pass under the Lux et Lex archway to signify the beginning of alumni careers. Hosted by the Alumni Association Board of Directors.  

May 11

9 a.m. | Commencement Line-Up

All graduates are to report to the Alumni Sports & Fitness Center at 9 a.m. for line-up. 

10 a.m. | 237th Commencement Ceremony

The 237th Commencement ceremony begins promptly at 10:00 a.m. in the Alumni Sports & Fitness Center.

12:30 - 2:30 p.m. | Graduate & Families Reception with Faculty

Graduates and guests are invited to an optional reception in Mayser Gymnasium with faculty following the Commencement ceremony. The reception offers light refreshments and an opportunity for graduates and their guests to meet and greet with their F&M faculty. 

If you plan to make reservations for lunch following the ceremony, we recommend making your reservation for 1:30 p.m. or after.

Planning a trip to F&M? Stay at hotels near campus and grab a bite from one of Lancaster’s more than 100 restaurants, cafes and eateries, featuring food from around the world! Explore our recommendations, including our hotel and bed and breakfast partners that offer a special rate for F&M visitors.

The safety and security of all graduates and their guests is of great importance to F&M. Security measures will be in effect throughout Commencement Weekend events and ceremony. Attendees have the option to view the Commencement ceremony virtually through the live stream or at the lower-attended remote viewing location at the Ann & Richard Barshinger Center for Musical Arts.

A digital Commencement program book is available.

Use this online form to request a commemorative printed copy that will be shipped by June 15.