Graduation Information

2023 Biology Diploma Ceremony

Saturday, May 20th from 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Aquatic & Fitness Center
450 Whitehead Rd. Charlottesville, VA 22904
Click here, to view interior layout of Graduation Venue (PDF)
(Inclement- or Severe-Weather Location: Same location)

Student Arrival Time:

Graduates must be seated no later than 11:20am at the Aquatic & Fitness Center. NOTE: It may take up to 20-25 minutes to walk from the Lawn Ceremony to the Aquatic & Fitness Center, so please plan accordingly to ensure you arrive on time. All graduates taking a diploma on stage are expected to be in academic attire (cap and gown).

Ceremony Duration and Reception:

  • Regardless of the weather plan, the Biology Diploma Ceremony will be 90-120 minutes with an additional 20-30 minutes of informal post-ceremony reception. All graduates and guests are invited to participate in this reception which will be accompanied by light refreshments.

Guests:

  • No ‘tickets’ will be issued. We ask that each graduate limit their guests to 6 people so that each graduate has an equitable opportunity for family and friends to attend.  If you need more than 6 seats for guests, please contact the Biology Department at [email protected] after May 8th to see whether additional seats have become available.

Disability and Accessibility:

  • The Alderman Road side of the Aquatics and Fitness Center has an accessible entrance.
  • Parking and Transportation recommends that families to park in the ADA lot of John Paul Jones so they may ride the Accessibility Shuttle which will take them to the lawn ceremony and then after the lawn concludes drop them off in front of AFC. They will need a valid placard or ADA pass from us to park in the ADA lot of JPJ which is by the JPJ Garage. 
  • Please see this Major Events website for information about services for persons with disabilities/limited mobility. Should you or your guests require disability-related accommodations, please send your request to [email protected] as early as possible. Examples of accommodations may include real-time captioning, ASL-English interpreting services, accessible seating, and accessible parking. The University ADA Coordinator will be available to provide assistance and guidance regarding accommodation requests.

Parking:

We will post any updates to this site. Please contact Petra Turner at [email protected] with any questions.

Final Exercises and Lawn Ceremony:

Information about Final Exercises and the Lawn Ceremony, including cap and gown ordering (found in the “For Students” tab) can be found at the Major Events Website http://www.virginia.edu/finals/ or by calling 434-982-3099.