Campus News

UGA Commencement logistics: Severe weather plan and temporary platform

The University of Georgia will see increased traffic around certain areas of campus this week as it gears up for its spring Commencement ceremonies.

Motorists are asked to use caution when driving on Broad Street near the Arch as graduating students and their families gather to take photographs.

Undergraduate Commencement will be held at Sanford Stadium May 4 at 7 p.m., rain or shine. Only in the case of severe weather will the ceremony be rescheduled for Saturday, May 5, at 10 a.m. The decision on whether to hold the undergraduate exercise outside or move to the severe weather plan will be made by 10 a.m. May 4, and the information will be placed on the UGA home page, uga.edu, by 10:30 a.m.

Graduate Commencement will be held in Stegeman Coliseum May 4 at 9:30 a.m. The clear bag policy will be in effect for both ceremonies.

East Campus Road adjacent to Sanford Stadium will be closed during the hours of Commencement. 

Parking for guests with disabilities is available at the East Campus parking deck (E04) and North Campus parking deck (N06). An ADA accessible shuttle will be available from those areas to the stadium.

The West End Zone section of the stadium, including gates 1 and 10, will be closed for construction. Graduating students from the Terry College of Business, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, College of Public Health, School of Social Work, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, College of Family and Consumer Sciences and College of Education should enter Sanford Stadium through Gate 2.

Students graduating from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, School of Public and International Affairs, College of Engineering, College of Environment and Design, Odum School of Ecology, College of Pharmacy and Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication should enter through Gate 9. 

Gates open for guests at 5:30 p.m., and guests should enter through Gates 4 and 6.

For guests who do not wish to attend undergraduate or graduate Commencement in person, the ceremonies will be streamed live at commencement.uga.edu.

The undergraduate ceremony will end as usual with a fireworks sendoff. Graduates and guests are requested to remain in place at the conclusion of the ceremony. The announcement will be shown on the video board after the fireworks sendoff is complete.

For UGA alumni with mobility disabilities who choose to pass through the Arch after graduation, the university will have a temporary platform in place on May 5 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information on Commencement at UGA, see commencement.uga.edu.