Fall 2022 Commencement

Ceremony Information

The link to the live stream will be posted here the week of the ceremonies. 

The Graduate School Fall Commencement - 5:00pm
Friday, December 9, 2022
The Complex
401 Baytree Road

3:00pm
Doors open - Guests Arrive

3:30pm
Graduates report to their assigned location (information released closer to the ceremony)

5:00pm
Ceremony with Pyrotechnics following

Undergraduate Fall Commencement 4:30pm
Saturday, December 10, 2022
Front Lawn
1500 N. Patterson Street

2:30pm
Guests Arrive

3:00pm
Graduates report to their assigned location (information released closer to the ceremony)

4:30pm
Ceremony with fireworks following

**There are no tickets required for either Commencement ceremony, and there is no limit on the number of guests a graduate can bring. Seating is first come first served. 

Summer 2022 Graduates

Those who officially graduated during the summer semester in 2022 and plan on attending Commencement in person in December need to contact the Registrar's Office at registrar@valdosta.edu. This is to be added to the program and for attendance purposes, and it includes The Graduate School and Undergraduate students. 

---

Parking and Transportation

Graduate School Ceremony at The Complex

Parking: Guests and graduates can park in the Oak Street Lot, the Oak Street Parking Deck, and the Sustella Parking Deck (all are shown in green on the map above). 

Shuttles: Shuttles will be running from all three main parking locations (Oak Street Lot, Oak Street Deck, and Sustella Parking Deck) and will drop off by The Complex. 

Accessibility Parking and Dropoff: Those needing accessibility assistance can park in the lot on the west side of The Complex (the parking lot is the blue one right next to The Complex). Parking is first come first served. Drop-off for the accessibility entrance into The Complex is also in this lot. Once parking in the lot is full, accessibility drop-off will still be allowed here. 

Undergraduate Ceremony on The Front Lawn

Parking: Guests and graduates can park in the Oak Street Lot, the Oak Street Parking Deck, and the Sustella Parking Deck (all are shown in green on the map above). 

Shuttles: Shuttles will be running from all three main parking locations (Oak Street Lot, Oak Street Deck, and Sustella Parking Deck) and will drop off on main campus just south of the Front Lawn. 

Accessibility Parking and Dropoff: Those needing accessibility assistance can park in the VSU lots along Georgia Avenue. Georgia Avenue runs along the north side of main campus (the parking lots are in blue on the map above). Parking is first come first served. Accessibility drop-off is also along Georgia Avenue. Please follow the signs posted. 

---

Preorder Flowers and Commemorative Shirt

If you would like to purchase flowers for your graduate, you can do so on site at the ceremony. However, you can also preorder and skip the line. 

You can also order a Commencement Commemorative T-Shirt. It will contain the names of the entire graduating class on the back.

Click here to preorder flowers and/or to order your t-shirt. 

Important Dates and Deadlines

October 5-6, 2022: Grad Finale (more information below)

October 17, 2022: First FREE Grad Photo Day 10:00am-12:00pm on the Front Lawn (December 2022 grads just need to show up in their cap and gown or their favorite business attire in red and black)

October 24, 2022: LAST DAY to purchase your class ring for it to arrive in time for the Ring Ceremony on December 5th. Rings must be paid for in full by this date. 

October 25, 2022: Career Carnival 12:00pm-2:00pm in Palms Quad (work stations include resume, interview skills, and elevator pitch) 

October 26, 2022: Second FREE Grad Photo Day 3:00pm-5:00pm on the Front Lawn (December 2022 grads just need to show up in their cap and gown or their favorite business attire in red and black)

October 26, 2022: Fall Career Expo 2:00-5:00pm in the Student Union Ballrooms 

October 31, 2022: Deadline to apply for Graduation with the Registrar's Office (click here for link to forms) 

November 1, 2022: Third FREE Grad Photo Day 3:00pm-5:00pm on the Front Lawn (December 2022 grads just need to show up in their cap and gown or their favorite business attire in red and black)

November 3, 2022: LAST DAY to order your cap and gown online to ensure it arrives before the Commencement ceremonies. Click here to order online. 

November 8, 2022: FINAL FREE Grad Photo Day 10:00am-12:00pm on the Front Lawn (December 2022 grads just need to show up in their cap and gown or their favorite business attire in red and black)

November 14-16, 2022: Graduation Boot Camp 9:00am-4:00pm each day in the Career Opportunities Suite in the Student Union (behind Starbucks) and also virtually

November 16, 2022: Fall Education Fair 12:00pm-4:00pm in the Student Union Ballrooms

November 29, 2022: Lighting of the Palms 6:00pm on the Front Lawn

November 30, 2022: DeStress Fest 1:00pm-4:00pm on the Front Lawn

December 5, 2022: Ring Ceremony 7:06pm on the Front Lawn

December 9, 2022: Graduate School Commencement 5:00pm at The Complex

December 10, 2022: Undergraduate Commencement 4:30pm on the Front Lawn

***Weather backup days for the FREE Grad Photo Days are the very next day at the same time and location.

If you have questions about anything related to Fall 2022 Commencement, you can reach out to commencement@valdosta.edu for more information.