How do I check in as a guest?
After parking, guests must check in at the Brandt Student Center parking lot. Shuttles will be available to transport guests from parking areas to the BSC
The checkpoint process upon arrival is as follows:
- Ticketing scan
- COVID-19 symptom checkpoint
- Security screening
Guests and graduates no longer need to complete the COVID Symptom Check Form as part of entry to the events.
When should I arrive for my ceremony?
Guests may start arriving one hour prior to the ceremony — we encourage guests to arrive 30 minutes to one hour prior to the ceremony in order to make sure that everyone processes through the checkpoints in a timely manner.
Graduates should arrive in full regalia 45 minutes prior to your assigned ceremony. Please park in the Henkel Hall, Allen Dining Hall or Health & Life Sciences Building parking lots and report to Smith Library Plaza for graduate check-in.
Do I need to wear a mask?
In keeping with Governor Ralph Northam’s lifting of Virginia’s universal mask mandate and aligning with new guidance for fully vaccinated people from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mask policies for all ceremonies will be as follows:
- Guests will be required to wear masks when entering and leaving the venue and when moving around.
- Graduates will be required to wear masks when they process and recess.
- Graduates and guests who are fully vaccinated may remove their masks, if they wish to do so, when they are in their seats, socially distanced. Graduates and guests who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear their masks throughout the ceremony.
- Graduates and guests who are fully vaccinated but are more comfortable keeping a mask on are, of course, invited to do so.
Will Commencement be live streamed?
All Commencement ceremonies will be streamed live on the university’s Facebook page, and can be viewed after the ceremonies there as well.
You can also join Commencement live on Zoom.
What if I want more tickets?
Some commencement ceremonies are full, with many students still requesting tickets for friends and family.
To allow graduates to celebrate with all of their loved ones, guests who do not have a ticket may bring a lawn chair and enjoy the ceremony from outside the tent.
Please know that seats will not be available under the tent for guests without tickets, social distancing will still be required for those on the lawn, and visibility will be very limited for those seated on the lawn.
How do I receive regalia?
Students must use this link to order: http://colleges.herffjones.com/college/_shenandoah/. Students will also receive an email with ordering information.
Caps & Gowns are on the way. If you do not receive yours in time, the campus bookstore will have extras. Please contact the bookstore at 540-665-4523.
When is my hooding/pinning/honors ceremony?
The event list is posted on the Commencement website and each respective school will be in touch with their ceremony information as soon as it is available.
How do I access the ticketing system?
Graduates who RSVPed by the deadline will be notified when the ticketing becomes available. If you did not RSVP, you will not receive a ticketing notification.
I graduated in 2020 but do not have regalia, how do I order?
Please contact the book store via Kim Otyenoh at kotyenoh@su.edu.
Who should I contact for ticketing system issues or inquiries?
Email commencement@su.edu for assistance.
Where can I park for Commencement?
