Class of 2020 Friends and Family Instructions
Class of 2022 Friends and Family Instructions
Class of 2020 University-wide Ceremony
Saturday, April 30 - Petersen Events Center, 4 pm
WHERE DO MY GUESTS ENTER:
- All guests will enter the Petersen Events Center through either CONCOURSE A or LOBBY. (Guests who enter through the CONCOURSE will be directed to the FLOOR)
- Doors to the Petersen Events Center will open to guests at 2:30 p.m.
WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES?
- The entrance for family members (CONCOURSE AND LOBBY) and students (LOBBY) are both handicap accessible.
- For graduates and their families who will be watching the ceremony online, open captioning will be automatically displayed during the broadcast.
- Seating for individuals with disabilities is available on the event floor. Volunteers will be present to assist those guests.
- Section 120 of the Petersen Events Center will be reserved for those family members and guests of graduates who are hearing impaired and will be staffed by a sign language interpreter.
- If a graduate requires special accommodations due to a disability, he/she should contact the Office of Special Events at 412-624-7100. Arrangements will be handled individually.
WHERE SHOULD I PARK?
- All University Lots will be open beginning at 8 a.m. on both Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1, and will be free for graduates and their guests.
- Accessible shuttles will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 30. The shuttle will run before each ceremony and will continue running until one hour after the ceremony. They will run from the OC Lot to the Petersen Events Center entrance on Allequippa Street in a continuous loop.
Shuttle routes>>
ACCESSIBLE DROP-OFF POINTS
ANYTHING ELSE?
- Please make sure to choose a meeting location for after the ceremony with your guests outside of the Petersen Events Center. Guests will be asked to exit immediately after the ceremony.
- Alcoholic beverages and items that can interfere with the ceremony (beach balls, bullhorns, etc.) are not permitted in the Petersen Events Center and will be confiscated.
- All commencement related info will be available online at commencement.pitt.edu.
- Each ceremony should last between 2 – 2 ½ hours in length.
- GradImages, an external photography service, will take photos of all students as part of the procession to the stage. These photographs can be purchased directly from GradImages following the ceremony. Learn more here >>
- The Petersen Events Center has made changes to their security and policies, including but not limited to, the adoption of the CLEAR BAG policy. We ask that all graduates and guests view this policy online prior to attending your ceremony. Again, all graduates should refrain from bringing bags, backpacks, or purses with them to the ceremony as they might not return to the same seat after crossing the stage. Please review the CLEAR BAG policy set forth by the Petersen Events Center.
HOW DO I WATCH ONLINE?
- The commencement ceremony will be livestreamed for guests who are unable to attend. Visit commencement.pitt.edu to obtain the link to join at the scheduled time of your ceremony. The event will also live permanently on Pitt’s Official YouTube channel for guests who are unable to watch live.
Class of 2022 University-wide Undergraduate Ceremony
Sunday, May 1 - Petersen Events Center, 2 pm
WHERE DO MY GUESTS ENTER:
- All guests will enter the Petersen Events Center through either CONCOURSE A or the LOBBY. (Guests who enter through the LOBBY LEVEL entrance will be directed to the Concourse Level)
- Doors to the Petersen Events Center will open to guests at 12:30 p.m.
WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES?
- The entrance for family members (CONCOURSE A) and the entrance for students (LOBBY) are both handicap accessible.
- For graduates and their families who will be watching the ceremony online, open captioning will be automatically displayed during the broadcast.
- The Petersen Events Center offers seating for guests with disabilities behind sections L213, L214, L215, L216, L220, L221, and L222. These seats can be accessed by taking the elevators to the Concourse Level (Figure 4).
- Additional seating for individuals with disabilities is behind sections 101, 102, 103, 104, 124, 125, and 126. These seats can be accessed by taking the elevators to Club Rear.
- Section 120 of the Petersen Events Center will be reserved for those family members and guests of graduates who are hearing impaired and will be staffed by a sign language interpreter.
- If a graduate requires special accommodations due to a disability, he/she should contact the Office of Special Events at 412-624-7100. Arrangements will be handled individually.
WHERE SHOULD I PARK?
- All University Lots will be open beginning at 8 a.m. on both days and will be free for graduates and their guests. Visitor Parking Map>>
Accessible shuttles will begin at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 1. The shuttle will run before each ceremony and will continue running until one hour after the ceremony. Shuttle routes>> will stop at the Petersen Events Center entrance on Allequippa Street and run in a continuous loop.
ACCESSIBLE DROP-OFF POINTS
ANYTHING ELSE?
- Please make sure to choose a meeting location for after the ceremony with your guests outside of the Petersen Events Center. Guests will be asked to exit immediately after the ceremony.
- Alcoholic beverages and items that can interfere with the ceremony (beach balls, bullhorns, etc.) are not permitted in the Petersen Events Center and will be confiscated.
- All commencement related info will be available online at commencement.pitt.edu.
- Each ceremony should last between 2 – 2 ½ hours in length.
- GradImages, an external photography service, will take photos of all students as part of the procession to the stage. These photographs can be purchased directly from GradImages following the ceremony. Learn more here >>
The Petersen Events Center has made changes to their security and policies, including but not limited to, the adoption of the CLEAR BAG policy. We ask that all graduates and guests view this policy online prior to attending your ceremony. Again, all graduates should refrain from bringing bags, backpacks, or purses with them to the ceremony as they might not return to the same seat after crossing the stage. Please review the CLEAR BAG policy set forth by the Petersen Events Center.
HOW DO I WATCH FROM HOME?
- The commencement ceremony will be livestreamed for guests who are unable to attend. Visit commencement.pitt.edu to obtain the link to join at the scheduled time of your ceremony. The ceremony will live permanently on Pitt’s Official YouTube channel for those who are unable to watch live.
PITTSBURGH MARATHON INFORMATION
- PARKING DURING COMMENCEMENT WEEKEND (Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1)
The University of Pittsburgh's undergraduate commencement ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 1, just hours after the running of the Pittsburgh Marathon. As a result, anyone planning to visit the Pittsburgh campus that weekend is advised to plan ahead their driving routes and parking arrangements.
MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PITTSBURGH MARATHON, including maps, alternate routes, approximate times for road re-openings and shuttle service can be found here.