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.

Check back for the 2024 Commencement seating chart.

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. 

Guests must process an eticket to exit and re-enter the Alumni Sports & Fitness Center.  

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.

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 accessible parking spaces are available. Parking spaces are first-come, first-served for guests with state-issued or F&M-issued accessible parking placards. To request an accessible parking placard, please email commencement@fandm.edu with your name, email address, and telephone number to receive a placard by email. Placards are individually numbered and may not be duplicated. As designated drop off location near the entry doors is avaialble. Please see a parking attendant for additional assistance.

The 2024 Commencement ceremony will be live-streamed virtually and available on-demand.

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. 

The virtual live broadcast of the ceremony will be available, check back to this page for the virtual livestream link or to view the on-demand recording of the ceremony.

Graduate Photos

Legacy Photos will be on campus on February 2, 2024 for pre-graduation headshots. Graduation headshots are optional and may be purchased directly from Legacy Photos. Graduation regalia will be available during the photoshoot. Stay tuned for additional information and to schedule a photo appointment. 

Ceremony Photos

A professional photographer will capture graduates on stage and off stage during the ceremony. Photos are available for purchase. All graduates participating in the Commencement Ceremony will receive an email from Legacy Photos with instructions on how to view and order photographs. Emails are sent to the graduate's F&M email account.

Graduates and guests are invited to an optional reception 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 making reservations for lunch following the ceremony, we recommend making your reservation for 1:30 p.m. or after.

Graduate & Families Reception with Faculty

Saturday, May 11 | 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.
Mayser Gymnasium

Commencement attendee safety is our top priority. We encourage but do not require attendees to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status, at the indoor Commencement ceremony. We ask that all attendees self-monitor for symptoms before and during the Commencement ceremony and request you do NOT come to campus if you are ill. 

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.