Graduation Info
Commencement announcements
Standard announcements are $11 for a package of 10. Announcements, which can be purchased separately, include two envelopes and a blank name card. Standard announcements are available at the Barnes & Noble @ VCU and the Barnes & Noble @ VCU Medical Center.
Personalized announcements are available at a price of $40 for 25 announcements. Personalized announcements incorporate the graduate’s name, degree and major into the text. Personalized announcements must be ordered by Nov. 2 to guarantee a December delivery.
VCU official class ring selection
Information on the official ring collection is available during the Grad Finale and regalia fitting sessions at the Barnes & Noble @ VCU and the Barnes & Noble @ VCU Medical Center. For additional ordering information please visit the Web site at www.jostens.com/college or call (800) 854-7464.
Diplomas
Diplomas will be available for pick up in the Graduation Office, 827 W. Franklin St., Room 328, during office hours on or after Friday, Jan. 15. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. If a third party will pick up your diploma, you must notify the Graduation Office at (804) 828-1917 on the same day to authorize the pickup. Diplomas not picked up by Jan. 29 will be mailed starting Feb. 1. Diplomas for August 2009 graduates are currently being mailed.
Diploma frame
Diploma frames designed and matted especially for Virginia Commonwealth University will be available through the bookstores. For additional information, please visit or call the Barnes & Noble @ VCU at (804) 828-1678, or the Barnes & Noble @ VCU Medical Center at (804) 828-0336.
Cap and gown fitting and distribution
Caps, gowns and hoods are awarded free of charge to all eligible graduates in recognition of their achievement. This memento of the occasion will be distributed during a Grad Finale event on each campus. In addition to receiving your cap and gown, the Grad Finale event will include representatives from various departments to help you prepare for graduation. Additionally, you may order announcements, select a class ring and purchase graduation accessories during the Grad Finale. Locations and dates for the Grad Finale follow.
Monroe Park Campus
Cap and gown fitting and distribution will be held during the Grad Finale at the University Student Commons,
Oct. 19 and 20, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Final cap and gown distribution sessions will be held at the Barnes & Noble @ VCU Dec. 10 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. If special accommodations are needed, please call the Barnes & Noble @ VCU at (804) 828-1678.
MCV Campus
Cap and gown fitting and distribution will be held during the Grad Finale at the Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences
Building, Oct. 26, from noon to 5 p.m. Final cap and gown distribution sessions will be held at the Barnes & Noble @ VCU Medical Center Dec. 7 and 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. If special accommodations are needed, please call the Barnes & Noble @ VCU Medical Center at (804) 828-0336.
If you are unable to attend the Grad Finale or one of the final cap and gown distribution sessions, please order your regalia on the Internet at www.jostens.com/college. Shipping charges will apply to all Internet orders. Caps and gowns will not be available the day of Commencement.
Assembling and robing
All candidates should arrive at the Stuart C. Siegel Center, 1200 W. Broad St., by 8:30 a.m., using the Harrison Street entrance. Candidates should follow the signs to their school assembly areas, where faculty marshals will provide further information.
Commencement exercises
Commencement exercises will be held on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009, at 10 a.m. in the Siegel Center. Seating is limited and on a first-come basis. Please see "Guest seating" for more information.
Special note
Siegel Center policy strictly prohibits alcoholic beverages, balloons and/or flammables of any form being brought into the building. Be advised that the police will confiscate these items. We want you to enjoy the day, but we expect our graduates to comply with these policies for the safety of all our guests.
Graduation Photos
Studio-quality graduation portraits — featuring a choice of background, plus cap and gown — will be taken during the Grad Finale on the Monroe Park Campus Oct. 19 and 20 and on the MCV Campus Oct. 26. Please come prepared (including hair preparation) to have your portrait taken at this time. Grad Finale is the best time to have your portrait taken. There is no obligation to purchase the portrait; you will receive proofs to review at a later date. Portrait sessions also will be available at the Siegel Center prior to Commencement exercises on Dec. 12 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Graduates who wish to avail themselves of this final opportunity are encouraged to arrive early. However, graduates will not be able to select a background at Commencement, nor will studio-lighting capabilities be available. Graduation photography is coordinated through the alumni associations.
Guest Seating
The Siegel Center doors will be opened for guests at 9 a.m. Tickets are not required and there is no reserved seating. In accordance with fire marshal regulations, no one will be allowed admission once the Siegel Center has reached capacity. If guests exit the Siegel Center during the ceremony, they will not be readmitted as long as the seating capacity has been reached.
Special Accommodations
Mobility-impaired guests may unload at the Siegel Center UU lot located at the corner of Broad and Ryland streets and park on the ground floor of the Bowe Street Parking Deck, located at 609 Bowe St. Hearing-impaired guests may want to sit in Section 8, where an interpreter can be easily seen. Graduation candidates needing special accommodations should contact Joyce Knight, Disability Support Services, at (804) 828-1139.
The Complete Visitor's Guide
If information is needed concerning lodging and dining accommodations, "The Complete Visitor’s Guide" is available from the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau at 401 N. 3rd St., Richmond, VA 23219. You also may call (804) 782-2777 or (800) 370-9004, or see www.visitrichmondva.com.
Parking
Parking is available, free of charge, at the VCU parking decks located at 1111 W. Broad St. and 609 Bowe St. Additional parking is available on the streets adjacent to the Siegel Center and surrounding the university. For maps and directions please visit http://www.vcu.edu/maps/acmap/acmapf.php#parking.