Updates

Happy Commencement Week Graduates!!

We are just days away from 2022 ECU Spring Commencement and the completion of your years of hard work and dedication!

This communication includes important details about the events and activities happening this week. Please read this thoroughly and feel free to share this with your family and guests attending later this week.

Facebook Live
ECU will host a Facebook Live event on Wednesday, May 4th at 11am to share the latest information and updates. Go to facebook.com/ECUParents to join live or to watch the video afterward.

GRAD BASH 2K22
Thursday night, May 5th, from 5-8pm in the North Parking Lot of Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. There will be food trucks, free soft drinks and water, beer / wine for purchase (21 years of age and over), a live band, giveaways and more. Don’t miss on a great way for graduates and families to have one last celebration together.

University Commencement

Friday, May 6th at 9am in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium

Parking
Parking lots will open around 7:30am. Parking is first come, first serve in the designated lots around Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. There is no charge for parking and those with state issued ADA placards will have spaces closer to the stadium.

You will not be able to drive up close to the stadium to drop people off – only those with approved placards will be allowed to access the forward parking lots and spaces.

Arrival Time
Gates open at 8am – but be sure to arrive no later than 8:45am to ensure you are participating in the main event processional.

Arrival Location
Once you have parked, graduates will report to one of four assigned locations around the stadium. Graduates will report to Gates 1, 4, 5 or 10 depending on which college you are earning your degree. See below or click here to view the map for where you should report when you arrive.

  • Example 1:  Your degree is an undergraduate degree in political science in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences – you would report to Gate 10 upon arrival
  • Example 2: Your degree is a master’s degree in software engineering in the College of Engineering and Technology – you would report to Gate 5 with all master’s degree candidates.

Processional Staging
Once you arrive at your designated gate, you will look for your college name and follow instructions of staff onsite who will help you line up. The processional will begin at about 8:55am, which means this is when the graduates will start processing onto the field to begin the ceremony.

Weather
We are monitoring the weather forecast, which has changed frequently in recent days and will likely continue to change throughout the week.  The ceremony will be held rain or shine unless there is severe weather such as lightning. Stay tuned to the Commencement website for updates.

Tickets
There are no tickets required for guests to attend the University Commencement Ceremony. Tickets are required for the college ceremonies and the deadline to pick them up passed on April 27th. The Central Ticket Office no longer has tickets to the college recognition ceremonies. If you failed to pick up tickets or are seeking extra tickets beyond the allotment, please directly contact your specific college contact by clicking on the link listed below.

Quick Reminders:

Program Booklet
The deadline to have your name included in the program booklet passed on March 1, 2022. To have your name included in the program booklet, you needed to successfully complete the Application to Graduate Process through the Registrar’s Office by that deadline. If you completed the process after that date name inclusion is not guaranteed. There will not be another version printed later.

ADA Accommodations Requests
If you or your guest has requested an ADA accommodation before April 24th, you will receive communication from ECU Disability Support Services.

Name Reading
Individual names of undergraduate or master’s students are not read during the University Ceremony. This takes place in the college recognition ceremony. It doesn’t happen in the large ceremony because there are nearly 4,000 graduates and this process would take too long.

What’s in the University Ceremony?
Processional of all spring 2022 graduates; Chancellor Rogers address; Keynote address with Matt Crisp; each College Dean presents their graduates to Chancellor Rogers; Officially turning of the tassels; Singing of the ECU Alma Mater.

Length of University Ceremony
The University Commencement Ceremony is expected to last 75-90 minutes.

For general questions about Commencement, send an email to commencement@ecu.edu.

The deadline (April 27) has passed to pick up college recognition ceremony tickets at the Central Ticket Office. Do not go to the Ticket Office and expect to pick up tickets as they are not there anymore. All tickets not picked up (or unclaimed) will be returned to each college for redistribution. The colleges are managing that process and will have details to share with their graduates.

Matt Crisp, co-founder and former chief operating officer of eVestment, an Atlanta-based financial technology company. A two-time ECU alumnus, Crisp earned his Bachelor of Science in finance in 1993 and Master of Business Administration in 1996.

eVestment made the Inc. 5000’s list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies for 11 consecutive years from 2007-17, qualifying for that organization’s hall of fame, and was recognized as a top workplace by multiple publications including Forbes magazine.

Originally from Washington, North Carolina, Crisp resides in Atlanta with his wife, Kimberly. They have three children; the oldest is a sophomore at ECU. Now a private investor and strategic consultant, Crisp serves on the board of trustees for the ECU Foundation and Ron Clark Academy.

Click here to learn more about the spring 2022 commencement speaker.

University Ceremony

The University Ceremony is May 6, 2022, at 9am in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

This ceremony does NOT require guest tickets. This means you can bring as many people as you want to celebrate at this ceremony with you. Graduates should arrive no later than 8:30am to be able to participate in the processional on to the field. You will receive detailed information about when and where specifically to report about one week before the ceremony (around April 30th).

This ceremony includes a processional of all graduates onto the field – the first time ECU has been able to do this since Spring 2019 – and is the only ceremony Chancellor Philip Rogers presides over. Dr. Rogers will provide a welcome address to all graduates and families. There is also a keynote address and messages from the faculty and SGA President. Each academic dean presents their graduates to the chancellor which is followed by the official turning of tassels and the collective singing of the ECU Alma Mater.

The University Commencement Ceremony will last about 75 minutes and will be live streamed for those unable to attend. The live stream link will be activated on the morning of May 6thfrom this website.

Guest Tickets 

Again, there are no guest tickets needed for the University Commencement Ceremony on May 6th at 9am in the football stadium.

However, guest tickets ARE REQUIRED for the college recognition ceremonies and these tickets are limited. Each graduate has a specific ticket allotment which can be picked up at the Central Ticket Office (CTO) before April 27th.  The CTO is located in the Main Campus Student Center on the first floor. There is a fixed number of seats in each venue and the allocation per student cannot be adjusted.

NOTE!  If graduates don’t claim their assigned tickets by the April 27th at 5pm deadline, those tickets may be given away to other graduates.

Does everyone need a ticket for the college ceremony?

Yes, all guests older than 3 years of age must have a guest ticket to attend the college recognition ceremonies. Any child three years of age and under must sit on the lap of another guest and will not have their own seat.

Where do I pick up my tickets?

The CTO is open for ticket pickup on Monday-Friday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. only.  You will need your ECU 1Card or a Photo ID as well as your name, the day/time of your ceremony and the name of the college (e.g., Nursing, Business, Education, etc.).  The deadline for ticket pick up is April 27th at 5pm.

Exception for Brody and Dental Medicine

If you are a graduate from the Brody School of Medicine, Brody Sciences or School of Dental Medicine, the ticket process listed here doesn’t apply to you. Brody and Dental are distributing tickets from the college and you should contact them for details.

What if I forget to pick up my tickets?

Any graduate tickets not picked up (unclaimed) by the April 27th at 5pm deadline, not including DE-only students (see below), will be returned to each college. The unclaimed tickets may be redistributed to other graduates who have already picked up tickets, but that process will be announced after April 28th by each respective college. You will NOT be able to pick up tickets at the Central Ticket Office after April 27th at 5pm.

SPECIAL NOTES!

  • You MAY NOT pick up tickets for anyone other than yourself.
  • Selling, buying, duplicating, or trading tickets for the ceremonies is completely prohibited and may result in your tickets being revoked.

What if I am a DE-Only student?

For Distance Education only students (students who don’t take any on-campus classes and may not come to campus before the day of the ceremony) – Each college is providing a list of DE-only students and those ticket allotments will be held aside and not re-distributed. DE-only students will be able to pick up their tickets at “will call” on the day of the ceremony. Additional information about the “will call” process will be shared closer to May 6.

To learn more about what your specific college process is visit Commencement.ecu.edu and scroll down to the section entitled “Who do I contact if I have questions?” and click the link to the college that matches your degree.

What if I am a double major?

For graduates earning more than one degree in the same semester, you can attend multiple ceremonies if you like. If the two ceremonies happen to be at the same time, you would just choose which one to attend. If they occur at different times, you may attend both and tickets will be available for each ceremony in your name.

Live Stream

As stated above there will be a live stream link for the University Commencement Ceremony posted online on May 6th for the 9am university ceremony.

There will not be a live stream or recording for the 18 individual college recognition ceremonies.

Guests Requiring Accommodations / ADA Accommodations 

Any guests requiring specific accommodations for the university ceremony or any college ceremony should go to the Commencement.ecu.edu website and click the purple button labeled “Accommodations.”

This link has been active since March 2nd and must be completed no later than April 29th. The link will be deactivated at this time.

I am confused by the RSVP process

There was a university RSVP form that was sent to all students who applied to graduate through the Registrar’s Office. We sent six different emails and reminders with a deadline of April 10th. This was for the university ceremony only, not the college recognition ceremonies. If you received the reminders even after completing the RSVP, this is likely due to an error in your email address (e.g., using a gmail account, missing a letter, or incomplete address).

If you completed the RSVP for the university ceremony, this doesn’t count as a RSVP for you for your college ceremony. Your college should be sending you specific details about that ceremony. If you aren’t sure, please see the contact list below – click your college name – and submit your question.

Parking Information 

For the University Commencement Ceremony, all ECU parking lots around Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium will be open and free of charge for graduate and guest parking. Carpooling for guests and graduates is strongly encouraged. Guests with valid state-issued handicapped permits or plates requiring accessible parking should park in the DMV Placard Required area next to Minges Coliseum.

ECU will have multiple volunteers driving golf carts around the parking lots to assist those that have difficulty walking long distances. We prefer guests use the golf carts rather than trying to drop someone off as traffic flow near the stadium will be limited. The golf carts will only be available during the university ceremony – not the college ceremonies.

ECU Police and event staff will assist with parking guests and graduates. It is recommended to access the parking lots from Charles Boulevard. Click here for directions to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium from outside of Greenville.

For the college ceremonies, all ECU parking lots will be open for use. Do not parking in a handicapped space without having a valid state-issued handicapped permit. The parking garage next to the student center will be open and free on May 6-7.

Graduates Walking on Stage / Reading of Names 

ECU doesn’t read the names of graduates nor have graduates walk across the stage during the University Ceremonies. This is not related to COVID-19 protocols. With between 4,000-5,000 graduates each spring, it is simply not feasible to read each graduate’s name and have them walk across the stage.

The reading of names/walking on stage for undergraduate and master’s students typically happens during the college and departmental ceremonies. Contact the college point person on the commencement page for specifics about your program.

College Recognition Ceremony Contacts:

For questions about the University Commencement Ceremony, please email commencement@ecu.edu.

For questions about a specific college recognition ceremony, please click the appropriate college name below.

GradBash returns on Thursday, May 5 for graduating students and their family/friends!  For more information click here.

ECU college recognition ceremonies – limited tickets per graduate

Read Entire message completely

The East Carolina University Spring 2022 Commencement Ceremony will be held May 6, 2022, at 9 a.m. inside Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Graduates needed to complete the RSVP process prior to April 10th to attend. If you missed the deadline, please email commencement@ecu.edu to explore options.

In addition, ECU will host college recognition ceremonies for the first time since 2019. The college ceremonies will be held on May 6-7 in various locations. Guest tickets will be required and are limited. Additional information about tickets is listed below.

Here are the college recognition ceremonies details. Graduates will need to know their assigned ceremony to pick up guest tickets. Please note some colleges have multiple ceremonies due to higher numbers of graduates so be sure to check out the department names associated with each ceremony.

Friday, May 6

Minges Coliseum

  • 1 p.m. – Health and Human Performance #1 – (Health Education and Promotion / Interior Design and Merchandise)
  • 4 p.m. – Health and Human Performance #2 – (Human Development and Family Science / Social Work
  • 7 p.m. – Health and Human Performance #3 – (Kinesiology / Recreation Science)

Main Campus Student Center Ballrooms

  • 1 p.m. – Business #1 – (Marketing / MBA)
  • 4 p.m. – Business #2 – (Management / Entrepreneurship / MSST / Hospitality Management)
  • 7 p.m. – Business #3 – (Finance / MSA / Accounting / MIS)

Wright Auditorium

  • Note! Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences degrees, majors and ceremony schedules are listed in more detail here. Graduates should review this list to determine which ceremony to attend.  The attachment lists the same schedule in two versions (1. Date/Time and 2. By Major).
  • 1 p.m. – Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences #1 – (University Studies / English / Sociology)
  • 4 p.m. – Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences #2 – (Psychology / Foreign Languages and Literatures / Philosophy and Religious Studies)
  • 7 p.m. – Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences #3 – (Criminal Justice / Geography, Planning and Environment / History)

Hendrix Theatre

  • 4 p.m. – School of Dental Medicine

 

Saturday, May 7

Minges Coliseum

  • 9 a.m. – College of Education
  • 1 p.m. – College of Nursing
  • 5 p.m. – College of Engineering and Technology

Main Campus Student Center Ballrooms

  • 9 a.m. – College of Fine Arts and Communications
  • 1 p.m. – College of Allied Health Sciences

Wright Auditorium

  • Note! Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences degrees, majors and ceremony schedules are listed in more detail here. Graduates should review this list to determine which ceremony to attend.  The attachment lists the same schedule in two versions (1. Date/Time and 2. By Major).
  • 9 a.m. – Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences #4 – (Biology  / Chemistry / Physics)
  • 1 p.m. – Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences #5 – (Political Science / Economics / Anthropology / Geological Sciences / Mathematics)

Hendrix Theatre

  • 9 a.m. – Brody School of Medicine – (Medical Only)
  • 1 p.m. – Brody School of Medicine – (Basic Sciences)

Who Attends the College Ceremonies?

College ceremonies include undergraduate, graduate, professional and doctoral students. If the college doesn’t have multiple ceremonies listed above that means all departments in that college will attend that ceremony.

Why are guest tickets required for the college ceremonies?

The college ceremonies are being held at indoor locations that have a limited number of seats available. Each graduate in the ceremony will received the same amount of guest tickets and that ensures each person with a guest ticket has a seat. Guests three (3) years of age and under will not need a ticket but MUST sit in the lap of another guest and will not their own seat.

College ceremony ticketing process

  • The University Commencement Ceremony in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium doesn’t require guest tickets, but graduates MUST complete the RSVP form to attend.
  • Graduates will not need a ticket – the tickets are only for guests.
  • Every college recognition ceremony WILL have guest tickets which must be picked up during the ticket pickup window (see below) and tickets will be collected as guests enter the venue.
  • Guest tickets will be available for pick-up in the Main Campus Student Center’s Central Ticket Office (located on the first floor) from April 4 – 27. After the April 27 deadline, unclaimed tickets will be returned to the college and may be re-distributed to other graduates.
  • For Distance Education only students (students who don’t take any on-campus classes and may not come to campus before the day of the ceremony) – Each college is providing a list of DE-only students and those ticket allotments will be held aside and not re-distributed. DE-only students will be able to pick up their tickets at “will call” on the day of the ceremony. Additional information about the “will call” process will be shared closer to May 6.
  • The Main Campus Student Center’s Central Ticket Office is open for graduation ticket pick up from April 4 – April 27 during the following hours of operation:
    • Monday – Friday (excluding holidays) from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • NOTE! If you are a graduate from the School of Dental Medicine or Brody School of Medicine only, you will contacted about your ticket collection process.

What will I need to bring/know to pick-up my tickets?

  • Show your ECU 1Card (or Photo ID if you are a DE student)
  • Know which ceremony you’re attending (e.g., I am attending the 1pm ceremony for the College of Business in the Center Ballrooms)

How many tickets will I receive?

The number of guests tickets will vary between 4-6 tickets depending on the graduate size and the venue capacity.

What if I am a double major?

For graduates earning more than one degree in the same semester, you can attend multiple ceremonies if you like. If the two ceremonies happen to be at the same time, you would just choose which one to attend. You will have guest tickets available for each ceremony you choose to attend.

Who do I contact if for questions?

For questions about the University Commencement Ceremony, please email commencement@ecu.edu. 

For questions about a specific college recognition ceremony, please click the appropriate college name below. 

Accommodations

Information regarding the process for requesting accommodations is located here.

Spring 2022 Commencement Program Booklet – Deadline was March 1st

The deadline for Spring 2022 graduates was February 1, 2022 and the deadline for Summer 2022 graduates was March 1, 2022.

Any student completing the graduation application process after March 1, 2022, will NOT have their name in the Spring 2022 Commencement program booklet. Additional editions of the program booklet will not be printed for those applying to graduate after the deadline. Students can still participate in the ceremony if they apply after March 1, but won’t have their names listed in the program distributed on May 6.

Spring 2022 Application to Graduate

All students must apply to graduate through the Registrar’s Office. Click here for instructions on how to apply. The official process to apply to graduate is done via each student’s Pirate Port account.

Information, including graduate RSVP details, for spring 2022 commencement ceremonies will be updated no later than March 3, 2022. Graduates should also check their ECU email address regularly for updates.

Note! There are multiple processes associated with Commencement. The application to graduate through the Registrar’s Office is required. Later in the semester there may be requests to RSVP to attend or participate in certain ceremonies. These are different processes entirely.

Continue to check your ECU email account and this website for updates and information related to Spring 2022 Commencement ceremonies.

Degree with Distinction Honors

The Office of the Registrar is currently reviewing all spring graduation candidates for degree with distinction honors eligibility. The first opportunity for students to pick up their cap and gown and to purchase honor cords (if eligible) will be the start of the Grad Expo, held at Dowdy Student Stores March 1st – 3rd.  The Expo will take place 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on March 1st and 2nd and 10 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on March 3rd.

Emails advising students if they are potentially eligible for degree with distinction honors will be sent the afternoon of February 25th. Students must show receipt of the email to purchase their cords at Student Stores.

Students who are not on campus will need to send an email to Student Stores to request their cap and gown be shipped. Directions provided by Student Stores are as follows:

The process for distance education students will be emailing the store at sm8397@bncollege.com with the information below:

  • Email
  • Phone number
  • Degree you’ll be receiving
  • Shipping Address
  • Height
  • Indicating if you’ll need a plus sized gown

We are asking for distance education students to please wait to send these emails closer to the start of the Grad Fair (March 1-3) so that we are able to keep similar emails organized and not miss out on a regalia order sent in earlier than usual.  If students are eligible to purchase honor cords, they must attach or forward the email received from the Registrar’s Office to their request for cap and gown.

Students who are eligible to purchase honor cords, will be notified by the end of the day on February 25th. Student Stores will not allow students to purchase honor cords prior to March 1st.

Spring 2022 Application to Graduate

All students must apply to graduate through the Registrar’s Office. Click here for instructions on how to apply. Note! All students wishing to attend graduation ceremonies AND have their name included in the Commencement program must complete this process by the deadline. Anyone applying to graduate after the deadline may not be included in the Commencement Program.

Spring 2022 Commencement Program Booklet

To ensure your name appears in the Spring 2022 Commencement program booklet, graduates must apply to graduate through the Registrar’s Office prior to the deadline.  The deadline for Spring 2022 graduates is February 1, 2022 and the deadline for Summer 2022 graduates is March 1, 2022. Directions on how to apply can be found here. The official process to apply to graduate is done via each student’s Pirate Port account.

Any student completing the graduation application process AFTER the deadline is not guaranteed to have their name in the Commencement program booklet. Additional editions of the program booklet will not be printed for those applying to graduate after the deadline.

Questions about Commencement?

Please look through this website first, but if you can’t find your answers here, feel free to email commencement@ecu.edu and allow 1-2 business days for a reply.

Cap and Gown Orders

Dowdy Students Stores, located in the Main Campus Student Center, is East Carolina University’s official source for graduation regalia, merchandise, and apparel.

For graduates who missed the January 24th deadline to get caps and gowns delivered for the Grad Fair, you still have options for getting it ordered and picked up after that date. Please email Dowdy Student Stores at sm8397@bncollege.com with the following information:

  • Email
  • Phone Number
  • Shipping Address
  • Type of degree you are receiving
  • Height
  • If applicable, indicate if you will need a plus sized gown

The best way for faculty to order rental regalia is to do so online by March 15 at https://ecu.shopoakhalli.com. The orders will be packed with your names on the package and sent to the bookstore by April 15th. Faculty can then pick up the rented regalia at the bookstore after April 15th and will need to return it to the store no later than 3 days after graduation. If you have any questions, please direct them to John Palmer, General Merchandise Manager at Dowdy Student Stores, jpalmer@bncollege.com.

If you are interested in purchasing regalia, a representative will be available on February 9 at Dowdy Student Store for a custom fitting. Click here to learn more.