Faculty Day-Of Instructions

Please review important information for your participation in the EVMS Commencement Ceremony scheduled for Saturday, May 20, 2023.

Commencement Ceremony

EVMS Commencement is Saturday, May 20, 2023 at Norfolk Scope. The ceremony begins promptly at 10 a.m. and lasts approximately 2.5 hours. Your arrival time and other details are below.

The Norfolk Scope is located at 201 E. Brambleton Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23510. Please allow extra travel time as traffic congestion in tunnels and around the Scope is likely.

Parking

• $5.00 cash upon entry in the Scope underground garage
• $5.00 cash upon entry in Brambleton Lot across the street from Norfolk Scope
• Other City of Norfolk self-pay parking located near Norfolk Scope

Check-In

• Enter through the Norfolk Scope Exhibition Hall doors (glass doors closest to the gate, not the box office entrance).
• Faculty should check-in between 9 and 9:30 a.m. to don regalia and prepare for the processional line up.
• All faculty should arrive with their regalia in ready to wear condition. If you were unable to pick up your regalia in advance of the ceremony, it will be available at check in.
• Processional line-up is facilitated by EVMS staff and begins at 9:30 a.m. Once the Processional has begun, no late-arriving faculty will be allowed to join, nor will they be allowed to be seated on the arena floor. No exceptions will be made.
• Further instructions about protocol, seating and processional order will be provided on site.
• Faculty who are part of the Platform Party or who have a role on stage during the ceremony should follow the instructions provided by email.

Security & Personal Belongings

Enhanced security procedures have been implemented at Norfolk Scope. Upon entrance, all guests will be subject to physical and visual inspections, bag checks and/or wanding which will affect entrance times.

In order to expedite entry, please consider leaving personal items such as purses, bags, etc. in your vehicles. EVMS is not responsible for lost or stolen personal belongs. Please plan and schedule accordingly.

Personal belongings will not be permitted on the arena floor during the ceremony. Keys and cell phones only may be checked in with EVMS Police & Public Safety for the duration of the ceremony.

Attire

Professional attire is required. Individuals who are not dressed appropriately will not be allowed to participate.

• All participants must wear either pants, a dress or skirt. Shorts and jeans are not permitted.
• Dark, low-heeled footwear is recommended. Athletic footwear and flip flops are not permitted.
• No jewelry can be worn on or over your regalia.
• Men wearing a collared shirt are required to wear a tie.
• Men are requested to remove their cap or tam for the national anthem.

Regalia

All faculty should arrive to the Scope with regalia in hand and ready to wear. Please ensure you arrive with your gown, hood, cap/tam and tassel. For those who do not own regalia and were unable to pick up the rental regalia on campus in advance of the ceremony, a communication with pickup instructions was sent to your EVMS email.

EVMS staff will be on site to assist with donning regalia. EVMS faculty are permitted to wear honor cords, Fine Family Academy of Educators or other stoles and medallions they have earned at EVMS and should bring them on Commencement day. Please read more about Faculty Academic Honors.

Processional and Ceremony

Faculty will begin lining up at 9:30 a.m. Once the Processional has begun, no late-arriving faculty will be allowed to join, nor will they be allowed to be seated on the arena floor. No exceptions will be made.

The Ceremony will begin promptly at 10 a.m. Graduation programs will be placed on your seat; nothing may be carried during the Processional. The ceremony is expected to last approximately 2.5 hours; please plan accordingly. Faculty participants are not excused from the arena floor before the end of the program and are expected to recess as a formal part of the ceremony.

Recessional

The audience will be asked to remain in place until the Recessional has concluded. Marshals and ushers will direct the Recessional with the Platform Party leaving first, followed by the faculty, and then the graduates.

As you exit the arena floor, staff will direct you to line the tunnel to celebrate the students as they recess from the arena. Please plan to participate in this final portion of the ceremony and send off our graduates as they leave the ceremony as EVMS alumni!

Post Ceremony

Faculty members who ordered rental regalia must return it to the faculty check-in tables in the Exhibition Hall immediately following the Ceremony.

COVID-19 and Public Health Information

EVMS will not require vaccinations or masks to attend EVMS Commencement. However, due to the nature of large gathering, close contact and potential risks, EVMS supports any individual who wishes to wear a mask during the ceremony.

Find current information about masking and public health protocols.

Find more details about this year's Commencement. For questions or additional information, please contact EVMS Special Events.