The Countdown to Commencement Weekend!

Dear Families,

The Office of Special Events & University Ceremonies and Parent & Family Programs put together a special newsletter series to help you plan for the exciting commencement weekend on campus! Stay tuned for more information and part two of the commencement edition newsletter coming soon.

Please note that the commencement website always has the most up-to-date information, and we encourage you to utilize it in your preparations: commencement.duke.edu.

We look forward to welcoming you to campus and celebrating the accomplishments of your student(s) with you in May!

- The Special Events & University Ceremonies and Parent & Family Programs Teams

Overview of Important Dates

Commencement Weekend Timeline

Baccalaureate Services • Friday, May 10 & Saturday, May 11
University-Wide Commencement Ceremony • Sunday, May 12
Departmental Ceremonies • Dates/times vary

Other Important Dates & Deadlines

April 24 • Deadline to request baccalaureate tickets
April 29 • Baccalaureate ticket pick-up begins
May 11 • Last opportunity to pick up baccalaureate tickets

* Specifics about each of these dates can be found
in the body of the newsletter below.

Baccalaureate Services

Service Times

Baccalaureate service times are determined by the student's last name:

Friday, May 10 (surnames A-H) at 4:30pm
Saturday, May 11 (surnames I-Q) at 11:30am
Saturday, May 11 (surnames R-Z) at 3:00pm

Requesting Tickets

Tickets are required for guest entry into Duke Chapel and Page Auditorium. Each student is allotted up to four guest tickets to their respective service.

The deadline to request tickets is Wednesday, April 24. Students may request tickets here.

If a student needs more than the allotted four tickets, they may email commencement@duke.edu to request to be placed on a waitlist. They should include their name, netID, school, number of tickets they are requesting, and the date and time of their service.

Switching Baccalaureate Services

If a student needs to switch their baccalaureate service, they should follow a similar process. The student may email commencement@duke.edu with the reason for switching services in addition to their name, netID, school, number of tickets they are requesting, and the date and time of their original and preferred service.

Ticket Pick-Up

Tickets may be picked up from the Bryan Center Information Desk. See below for specific dates and pick-up times.

Monday, April 29 – Friday, May 3
11:00am – 6:00pm
Monday, May 6 – Friday, May 10
11:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday, May 11
9:00am – 3:00pm

Baccalaureate Seating for Guests

Due to space constraints, guest seating is limited in Duke Chapel. The Chapel will predominantly seat graduating students with guests viewing from Page Auditorium.

University-Wide

Commencement Ceremony

Ceremony Logistics

The university-wide commencement ceremony will occur on Sunday, May 12 on Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium. Please note:

Gates open at 7:30am.
Procession begins at 9:00am.

Tickets are NOT required for the university-wide commencement ceremony.

Plan for the Weather

Be aware that this ceremony occurs outdoors. In 2018, we saw a record heat index and encourage guests to plan accordingly.

There will be a livestream of the ceremony available online for your convenience. If you have elderly or infant family members, please take into consideration that it may be easiest for them to watch the livestream to avoid heat exhaustion.

It’s important to stay hydrated prior to coming to the ceremony and wear light clothes (think linen and breathable fabrics!). More information will be sent as we approach the big day in regards to how to prepare.

Departmental Ceremonies

Get familiar with your student’s departmental ceremony to help build your schedule for the weekend.