Frequently Asked Questions for Families and Guests
What is the date of Fall 2023 Commencement?
December 15, 2023 at 10am in Minges Coliseum.
What happens in the case of rain for the University Ceremony?
The Fall 2023 University Commencement Ceremony is held indoors at Minges Coliseum. The event will be held as planned. In the event of severe weather visit the Commencement home page or ECU website for updates.
Will there be any other in-person ceremonies for Fall 2023 for college or departments (e.g. College of Business / Psychology Dept.)?
ECU will host college recognition ceremonies in the afternoon and evening of December 15 in various locations. Guest tickets are required and are limited per graduate based on venue size and graduate numbers. Information about tickets will be shared in October.
Minges Coliseum
- 1 p.m. – Business
- 4 p.m. – Engineering and Technology
- 7 p.m. – Health and Human Performance
Main Campus Student Center – Ballrooms
- 1 p.m. – Allied Health Sciences
- 4 p.m. – Nursing
Wright Auditorium
- 1 p.m. – Education
- 4 p.m. – Fine Arts and Communication
ECHI Auditorium
- 1 p.m. – Brody Sciences
Hendrix Theatre
- 1 p.m. – Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences
- Biology; Chemistry; Geography, Planning and Environment; Geological Sciences; Mathematics; and Physics
- 4 p.m. – Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences
- Anthropology; Criminal Justice and Criminology; Economics; Multidisciplinary Studies; Political Science; Psychology; and Sociology
- 7 p.m. – Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences
- English; Foreign Languages and Literature; History; Philosophy and Religious Studies; and University Studies
A member of our group is a person with a disability. Do we need to make advanced arrangements?
The venue for the main university ceremony is fully accessible. Volunteers will be available to direct individuals with disabilities to accessible parking and seating options. The main university ceremony is ASL interpreted.
All faculty, staff, guests, and graduating seniors who have personal accommodation needs, should have completed the request for accommodations form by TBA to request accommodations for the ceremony on December 15, 2023.
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.
Are names read during the University Ceremony?
ECU does not read the names of graduates during the university ceremonies. This is not a pandemic related situation. We simply don’t have the ability to read thousands of individual names in the university ceremonies. Only doctoral and professional student names will be read as this is a standard practice during university ceremonies. Individual names are typically read during the college ceremonies.
Where does graduate name reading occur?
The names of undergraduate and master’s degree graduate names are typically read during the college and department ceremonies. This is separate from the university ceremony. See the list above to view the college recognition ceremony schedule.
What is the difference between the main university commencement ceremony and my unit recognition ceremony?
The main university commencement ceremony is where degrees are conferred by the Chancellor; individual names are not read; Your college ceremony is coordinated and held by your college, school or department.
Will the university ceremony be live streamed for those unable to attend?
Yes. The main university ceremony will be live streamed on December 15, 2023. The link will become active on December 15 from the Commencement website home page. The college ceremonies are NOT live streamed.