Pinning and Commencement Ceremony
Date: Thursday, August 15, 2024
Time: 6:30pm
Location: Lewis Hall - McCombs Auditorium
Eastern Virginia Medical School
700 W. Olney Road
Norfolk, Virginia
**Please read through all of the information provided on this site VERY CAREFULLY.**
Graduates will be responsible for ALL information presented.
The ceremony will be streamed live on our Facebook page. Head over to www.facebook.com/sentaracollege to watch! You do not need a Facebook account to join in.
Parking
All graduates, family, and friends should park in Visitor Garage A located directly across from Lewis Hall (see photo below).
Each graduate will receive 1-3 hour parking stamp for themselves and 2-3 hour parking stamps for family and friends. Each stamp allows 1 vehicle free parking in Visitor Garage A for up to 3 hours.
Please Note:
Parking stamps are not replaceable.
If a vehicle exceeds the 3 hour maximum, a minimum fee of $2.00 will be due upon exit.
For family and friends who do not receive a parking stamp, parking rates for Visitor Garage A are as follows:
Up to 1 hour = Free
Up to 2 hours = $2
Up to 3 hours = $3
Entrance
Graduates, family, and friends should enter Lewis Hall on the W. Olney Road side (see photo below). Signage and college staff will be present to assist.
Graduates
Graduates are expected to be in McCombs Auditorium absolutely NO LATER than the time listed below fully dressed and ready (make up, hair, etc.). You are expected to be ready for a short rehearsal within 15 minutes of arriving.
The table for check-in will be in front of the auditorium entrance. Please follow all directions provided to you at check-in to avoid delaying the ceremony.
Arrival / Check-In 5:30pm
Rehearsal 5:45pm
Ceremony Line Up 6:15pm
Ceremony Start 6:30pm
NOTE: Late arrivals will negatively impact the coordination, lineup, seating of the event, and may result in you being seated at the end of the lineup or not being seated with your fellow graduates. College officials are aware that extenuating circumstances can occur; therefore, it is important to communicate to your program official and/or another classmate if you are experiencing an extenuating situation that will cause you to be late.
Family and Friends
Family and friends should arrive no earlier than 5:45pm. Doors to McCombs Auditorium will open at approximately 6:00pm for seating. Please make sure your family and friends are aware that the doors to the ceremony area will NOT open until the rehearsal has been completed.
Please Note: There is limited seating available in the family/friends line up area for individuals who may not be able to stand for extended periods of time. Please make sure your family/friends are aware.
Family and friends are required to have tickets in order to attend the ceremony. Each graduate will receive 16 admission tickets for family and friends.
Graduates are not required to have an admission ticket.
Children 3 and under are not required to have a ticket; however, they are required to sit on a ticketed adult's lap for the entire ceremony. This is due to fire code regulations.
Graduates are welcome to give extra tickets to other classmates. (Please note: It is the sole responsibility of the graduates to coordinate the giving and/or receiving of tickets. The college does not assist with this area.)
Graduates can order their announcements through Balfour and have them shipped right to their home. Etiquette suggests that you ensure announcements arrive to your family and friends at least two weeks prior to the ceremony (which falls around August 1st).
Important Note: Announcements are not an entry ticket into the ceremony.
Click here to purchase your graduation announcements. Minimum purchase is 24.
NOTE: Announcements are not included in your graduation fee and will not be supplied by the college. They must be paid for separately through Balfour.
Accessible seating reservations are available for all ceremonies. If you indicated on your graduation application that you have family members or friends who need accessible seating for the ceremony, the Office of the Registrar will reach out to you individually to discuss.
NOTE: Each individual will still need an entry ticket.
Arrival times for reserved seating will be indicated in the email confirmation from the Office of the Registrar along with detailed instructions on where to enter.
There are no secure areas for personal belongings/valuables in the center. Please leave these items at home or locked out of sight in your vehicle.
NO BALLOONS, SIGNS, STROLLERS, OR CAR SEATS PERMITTED
Due to visual obstruction, balloons and signs are NOT permitted inside the auditorium. Please inform family and friends to either keep balloons and signs in their cars or at home as they will not be allowed to enter with them. Additionally, because of fire code regulations, strollers and car seats are not permitted in the center.
Click the "Next" button below to learn about dress code, regalia ordering, and more for the Commencement & Pinning Ceremony.