UP Commencement 2025

Business attire is suggested. Penn State Dickinson Law’s Commencement is an academic ceremony, and professional standards for dress and decorum apply.

Arrival Time — All degree candidates should plan to arrive at Eisenhower between 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.; no later than 9:30 a.m.

Regalia — Remember to bring your regalia (tam, gown, and hood) with you. If you haven’t already, you must pick up your regalia prior to Commencement.

• J.D. candidates pick up their regalia in Room 011, the Career Services office.
• LL.M. candidates pick up their regalia in Room 121, Graduate and International Programs.

Registration/Name Card — When you arrive at Eisenhower on the morning of Commencement, you will register at tables in the main lobby area. When you register, you will receive a card with your name and number printed on it. Please keep this name card with you until you hand it to backstage staff just prior to your walk across the stage.

Assembly Instructions — After you register in the lobby, you will be directed to the assembly area for robing and lining up for the processional. Please do not bring guests to the assembly area. Several members of the law school staff will be on hand to assist with robing and hooding. Only adornments (i.e. cords or stoles) that have been specifically approved by the law school may worn with regalia during the ceremony. If you have a question about what may be worn, please ask the staff who will be on hand assisting with the robing. The assembly area will be left unattended during the ceremony, so any personal items should be given to your family members in advance of the ceremony or left in the assembly area at your own risk.

The ceremony will be livestreamed over the internet. The link to the livestream will be posted on the law school’s Commencement webpage prior to the event and will be accessible by going to the Penn State Dickinson Law home page and clicking on the Class of 2025 Commencement banner on the right side of the page. This banner will link you to the Commencement webpage, https://pennstatelaw.psu.edu/events/penn-state-law-2024-commencement. The link to the livestream will be embedded on that page.

Eisenhower Deck will temporarily open on Saturday, May 17 to accommodate parking for the Penn State Dickinson Law, University Park 2025 Commencement Ceremony. There is no charge for parking in the Eisenhower Deck on Commencement day. All vehicles parking there that day must exit the deck by midnight. The Eisenhower Parking Deck is immediately adjacent to Eisenhower Auditorium and accessible from Shortlidge Road.

Reception Parking — If you plan to attend the reception at the Katz Building on Friday, May 16, parking will be available at the adjacent Katz lot (Orange A) and there is additional parking in the lot behind the Food Services Building located on the other side of the Katz lot, opposite the Katz Building. Please see the interactive map for more campus parking information. PLEASE NOTE: there is a charge for parking on the campus lots. You can pay using the pay stations or the ParkMobile App. All pay stations and ParkMobile must be paid during the posted hours of reservation on the lot entrance sign.

ADA Parking — For an ADA access map of campus, visit the ADA Access Interactive Map. Parking in these lots is available upon a first-come, first-served basis. A valid, state-issued ADA placard or license plate is required for ADA parking.

If any of your guests need any type of accommodation for the ceremony at Eisenhower, please contact Kelly Kaiserian, Audience Services Manager, at Eisenhower Auditorium to discuss your needs: phone is 814-865-4727 and email is kvk2@psu.edu. There is a drop off area in front of the auditorium for guests with disabilities and elderly guests.

ADA Parking — For an ADA access map of campus, visit the ADA Access Interactive Map. Parking in these lots is available upon a first-come, first-served basis. A valid, state-issued ADA placard or license plate is required for ADA parking.

Seating in the Eisenhower Auditorium for guests will open at 9:30 a.m. Tickets are not required. All seating is unreserved other than designated seating areas for the graduates and for guests with disabilities. Guests should arrive by 10:00 a.m. to allow for parking and to be seated prior to the processional. Once the processional begins, there will be no admittance until after the students are in place and the official party is on stage.

Professional photographers from GradImages will be on hand to take a photo of each graduate as the certificate is presented on stage, and also to take a portrait-style photo of each graduate after you walk across stage and before you return to your seat. If you wish to receive your photo proofs following the ceremony, you must provide your contact information on the morning of the event. You will be provided more details about this when you arrive. Guests taking photos or videos during the ceremony will be limited to areas behind the student seating. No one will be permitted in the aisles during the processional and recessional.

The graduating class will be lined up alphabetically and numerically within their respective degree group — LL.M. or J.D. Once the candidates are lined up in the required order, please remain in that order. When the processional begins, LL.M. candidates will enter the auditorium first, then followed by J.D. candidates. The line will be guided by the ceremonial ushers (who will be in regalia) and the candidates will be directed into predetermined rows at the front of the auditorium. Again, please remain in the order in which you are lined up throughout this process.

At the appointed time in the program (after the Guest Speaker remarks and the authorization of conferring of degrees by a member of the Board of Trustees), candidates for the LL.M. degree will be asked to stand for the conferring of degrees. After the degree is conferred, LL.M. graduates will be asked to be seated and the ushers will direct the front row of LL.M. graduates out of the main auditorium and to a location just off the side of the stage. Once LL.M. graduates have been seated, candidates for the J.D. degree will be asked to stand for the conferring of degrees. After degrees are conferred on J.D. graduates, they will be asked to be seated. Simultaneously, ushers will then begin getting the remaining LL.M. graduates up and out of the auditorium, one row at a time. Please stay in order at all times.

After all degrees are conferred ushers will direct remaining graduates to line up in order (alphabetical and numerical by respective degree group), LL.M. and J.D., at a location just off the side of the stage, then give your NAME CARD to staff, pick up a scroll, and wait in line until your name is announced. Your names will be read in the order of the slide presentation so it is important that you remain in numerical order throughout the process, until your name has been read and you’ve walked across the stage. When your name is read you will then cross the stage, between the podium and audience, to the opposite side of the stage. Please pause at the end of the stage to take a portrait-style photo by GradImages. Ushers will direct you back to your seat and you may sit immediately.

Note, you will not receive your diploma when you cross the stage. Diplomas will be mailed to you after all grades have been certified.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the stage party and faculty will lead the recessional off the stage. Graduates will recess the auditorium immediately following the faculty and stage party as directed by the ceremonial ushers. Guests will remain at their seats until the stage party, faculty, and graduates have recessed.

A reception for all graduates, guests, faculty, and staff will be held at the Katz Building on Friday, May 16 at 4:00 p.m. The reception will include light refreshments. We will showcase your previously submitted selfie or photo(s) in a special slideshow at the reception.