Commencement

Make sure you have your grad pass. Your grad pass can be obtained by logging into your Marching Order account and selecting “Print Grad Pass”. Your grad pass will be scanned at check in and will also be used on stage to play your name recording. If you are attending more than one ceremony, please make sure you have the grad pass assigned to this ceremony.  Your grad pass can be printed or shown on your phone.  If using your phone, please make sure your phone is fully charged and the brightness is up.

You can access your Marching Order account by going to the Login Page and using your UIC email address.

All graduates must wear their UIC cap and gown, which are available for purchase through the UIC Bookstore. 

What side of my cap does the tassel go on?

For undergraduate students, tassels are to be worn to the front-right of the cap prior to the ceremony. When degrees are conferred, graduates will be instructed to switch them to the left side. 

Graduate and Professional students, though, begin the ceremony with the tassel on the left side and it remains that way for the duration of the ceremony.  

Seating is not assigned. Graduates will, though, be seated by major/program. Graduates are also not seated in alphabetical order. You can reference a floor map upon arrival to the arena.

Tickets are required for all guests over the age of 1 year. Guest seating is general admission. If your guest needs an accessibility accommodation, you may contact UIC Venues and Events directly at 312-413-5700.

You can access your guest tickets by logging into your Marching Order account and selecting “print/email ticket.”  Tickets can be printed or displayed on a phone. Each business student can have up to 8 tickets. Please ONLY request the number of tickets needed.

Students will have a formal graduation portrait taken at the ceremony once the diploma cover is in hand.

Your proofs and photos will be available for purchase directly from Grad Images.

GradImages® is the official photographer at the commencement ceremonies. Photos are available to view and order by visiting their website at www.gradimages.com. Enter Last Name, School Name and select Event Year from the dropdown menu. For additional help, call the Customer Service Department at 800.261.2576 or email giservice@gradimages.net.

Graduates will enter through Gate 2. Guests will enter through Gate 3.

Graduates will have their Grad pass scanned at check in, and then can then proceed to their seats on the main floor.  Graduates are seated by degree and program.  Seating is not assigned. Rows will be marked with signs on the floor to assist you in finding your seating area.

The virtual ceremony will open 15 minutes prior to the start of the in-person ceremony. The virtual ceremony will include the live webcast and the graduate slides. The link can be found on the UIC Commencement homepage.

The Credit Union 1 Arena has limited and prohibited certain items from being brought into the venue. Please refer to the venue’s FAQ for full details. Metal detectors will be in use at the Arena. For questions about these policies, please contact the Credit Union 1 Arena at (312) 413-5700 or email questions@uicpavilion.com

All graduates and guests will enter through Evolv Security Systems.

Only bags 14” X 14” X 6” or smaller will be permitted inside the venue.  Large bags are not permitted. There are no lockers available for storing bags or other items. All bags are subject to search.

The following items are prohibited:

• Tripods (cameras welcome)
• Strollers
• Helium Balloons
• Noisemakers or air horns
• Pyrotechnic devices
• Outside food or beverages
• Weapons of any kind including knives, spikes, sticks, or anything else deemed unsafe
• Laser pointers
• Graphic boards/Posters
• Bottles or cans
• Mace
• Aerosol cans
• Confetti

Complimentary parking is available in the Harrison Street Parking Structure, located at 1100 West Harrison Street or in Lot 1 A, located 1109 West Harrison Street and in Lot 1B, located 1139 West Harrison Street. Due to construction parking is limited in the Harrison Street Parking Structure. If necessary, guests will be directed to park in the Halsted/Taylor Street Parking Structure located at 760 West Taylor Street. Complimentary UIC shuttle buses and directional signage will be posted.

Contact the Credit Union 1 Arena at (312) 413-5700.

Conferral is the actual date a diploma is awarded. This is usually after the date of the Commencement Ceremony.

After submitting an Intent to Graduate, students must also register for the Commencement ceremony in order to participate. Registration information and details will be sent to graduating students directly, by email. Eligible students will need to register on the official commencement registration site to reserve a seat. Students who do not register will not be accommodated.  Further instructions for the day of the ceremony will be sent by email. The deadline to register is November 11.

All guests are required to have a ticket for entry to the ceremony. At the time of registration, you can request up to 8 guest tickets.  Please do not request more tickets than you need at that point. Additional tickets will be released after registration closes.  An announcement will be sent on after November 11 with information on requesting additional tickets. Any requests for additional tickets received prior to this announcement will be denied.

Parents shouldn’t need a letter from the school, per se, unless the embassy is specifically advising as such. OIS can provide a very general letter (about 2 sentences) attesting to a student’s F or J status. The I-20 itself, though, is what they would use for more detailed information regarding status. Alternatively, they can also request enrollment verification letters from the Registrar’s Office for more information re: academic progress; as mentioned above, though, they should check first with the consulate where their parents plan to apply, to be sure.

Students will get an RSVP via email which can also be used to show date and time of the ceremony.

Graduation products including flower bouquets, graduate t-shirts, and spirit necklaces will be available for purchase from the Commencement Group at the Credit Union 1 Arena. Items can also be purchased in advance. All online orders will be available for pickup on site the day of the graduation. To retrieve your order, please stop by the booth located conveniently at the entrance to the graduation before the ceremony begins.

Visit www.thecommencementgroup.com/uic

If you have a preferred first name on file with the university that is different from your legal first name and you would like that to be used at the commencement ceremonies or in the printed commencement programs, please email commencement@uic.edu no later than November 8.

Your Grad Pass will have a QR code that will be scanned upon entry to the venue and will also be used on stage. You can have your Grad Pass on your phone or use a printout. If using your phone, please make sure it is sufficiently charged. You can access your Grad Pass through the Marching Order website using your individual login as soon as you register. Your Grad Pass will be used to display your name and degree as you cross the stage and to play your professional name recording.

All graduates will have a graduate slide that can be customized at the time of registration by uploading a photo and personal message. The graduate slides for those who register will be shown prior to the ceremonies. If you will not be attending the ceremonies, but would still like to personalize a slide, the slides will be available on our virtual site. The link will be on our homepage. Graduate slides can be posted to social media or downloaded to share with family and friends.