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Spring Commencement

Prepare for the Graduate Hooding and Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 9, 2025, and the Undergraduate Ceremony on Saturday, May 10, 2025 with detailed schedules, livestream links, and guest information to make your graduation stress-free and exciting. 

Students celebrating with excitement after crossing the commencement stage.

Commencement is a special time to celebrate the accomplishments of our students while at Radford. Whether you are a graduate, guest or faculty member, commencement requires some advance planning. We are providing all the information and resources you will need to prepare for the big day.

Tickets
Tickets are not required for Spring Commencement.

Parking and Entrance
Graduate Hooding Ceremony on Friday, May 9
Parking is free and available in Lot Z. There will be parking staff and University Police officers stationed to assist. Accessible parking is available with a DMV issued permit. Parking attendants will direct to specified areas. All attendees should enter the riverside entrance of the Dedmon Center for the Graduate Hooding Commencement Ceremony.

Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 10
Parking is free and available across campus. Lot DD will serve as a drop off for guests with mobility issues and Lot EE is designated as handicap parking. Please view the main campus parking map [PDF].

Moffett Lawn will have four entry points for the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony. Please view the commencement map for the locations of the entry points.

Line up for students begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning in the area between Walker and Madison Halls and will extend toward Muse Hall. Students should plan on being at line up no later than 9:30 a.m. The line up area will have two entry points. Once inside the lineup area, graduates will check in and be directed to the line up location. Graduates will line up by departments within each college. 

Commencement Security Measures
The safety of our campus community remains our highest priority. All attendees for the Graduate Hooding Ceremony and the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony should be prepared to go through a security screening before entering the commencement venues. The OpenGate security system allows for efficient and non-invasive screening, helping to maintain a safe environment while minimizing delays. In addition, we are partnering with an event security contractor to assist in this effort, and they will be dressed in green if you require assistance or need help. View the university's clear-bag policy and prohibited items listing.

Livestreams
Links to the livestreams of the commencement ceremonies will be available from the university homepage, on this website and university social media platforms - Facebook and X for guests who want to view all of the excitement but are unable to attend. Live captioning will be available.

Photography
Radford University has contracted with GradImages to provide quality graduation photos of each student. Students can find their commencement photos taken by GradImages at gradimages.com. #RadGrads and families are also welcome to take photos of their special day after the ceremony on or near the stage area as well as outside around campus.

Accessibility Services
Accessible seating for guests is available on a first come, first served basis. Accessible seating is for the person with disability plus one other person. Once at the venue, university volunteers will direct guests to the designated accessible seating areas. If you are a guest with a disability that requires indoor seating for the Undergraduate Ceremony held outside on Moffett Lawn, please contact the Center for Accessibility Services by email cas@radford.edu.

If you need an American Sign Language interpreter, please contact the Center for Accessibility Services by email cas@radford.edu no later than May 1, 2025. 

Inclement Weather
Spring weather can be difficult to predict. We will monitor the forecast carefully and if severe weather appears likely to impact commencement, we will provide regular updates via email to our graduating students. Any changes to the commencement schedule will also be available on this website, university homepage and shared on university social media platforms - Facebook and X.