University Commencement Ceremony

University Commencement Ceremony

Date: Thursday, May 2, 2024

Ceremony Time: 6 p.m.

Venue: Brooks Stadium

Time Graduates Need to Arrive: 5 p.m. at the Gate 1 Entrance

Watch the Ceremony Live

Tickets: Tickets are not required for the University Commencement Ceremony.

Ceremony Description | Venue Information | Graduate Information | Brooks Stadium Safety Measures

Ceremony Description

The University Commencement Ceremony is a campus-wide celebration of all the students graduating from the University’s academic colleges. The ceremony starts with a parade of graduates processing into Brooks Stadium by their academic colleges. While each college holds an individual ceremony, the University President is the only person who can confer the actual degrees. As part of the University Commencement Ceremony, each dean steps forward to request that the president confer degrees on the college’s candidates as they stand to be recognized en masse. Other traditional customs include University recognitions and formal addresses from the University President, board of trustees, commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient The Honorable Clifton Newman, and CCU alumni.

Venue Information

The University Commencement Ceremony will be held at Brooks Stadium on Thursday, May 2, at 6 p.m. Stadium gates will open 1 hour prior to the start of the ceremony. Tickets are not required for the University Commencement Ceremony and seating is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The ceremony should last approximately one hour. To ensure a quick and safe exit, graduates are urged to make arrangements before commencement to meet family and friends outside of Brooks Stadium after the ceremony at a designated location.

Please note, beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, access to University Boulevard from Chanticleer Drive West (east or west bound) to S.C. 544 will be closed. To access campus and all parking lots on the main campus, use University Boulevard from U.S. 501 and/or Founders Drive from S.C. 544. To exit campus, use University Boulevard and travel to U.S. 501 and/or Founders Drive. Chanticleer Drive West/East and Founders Drive will REMAIN open and accessible to ALL traffic.

Graduate Information

Graduates are to check in at the Gate 1 entrance into Brooks Stadium no later than 5 p.m. to prepare for the ceremony. 

Please note that the ceremony will take place on Benton Field inside Brooks Stadium. To protect the turf field and ensure the safety of graduates, stiletto heels will not be allowed on the field. Wedges and flats are preferred, but square heels with a width measuring at least 1” will be allowed on the field.

Brooks Stadium Safety Measures

Health and Safety Statement

Commencement is a time of celebration, and all graduates and guests should evaluate their risk in determining whether to attend the ceremonies. An inherent risk of exposure to contagious infectious diseases (i.e. Chickenpox, COVID-19, Influenza, Measles) exists in any public place where people are present. By attending commencement activities on campus, you voluntarily assume any and all risks of exposure to infectious diseases. 

Graduates and their guests planning on participating in commencement events must agree that they will not attend the ceremony if the graduate, guests, or traveling companions:

• Are sick or experiencing symptoms of an infectious disease without a known underlying cause. 
• Have tested positive for COVID-19 or other infectious diseases within 10 days prior to commencement or travel to campus.

Clear Bag Policy

Coastal Carolina University will be enforcing the Clear Bag Policy. Clear bag checks will be conducted at each gate entrance. Medically necessary items are also subject to the Clear Bag Policy. The University reserves the right to search any person, their bags, and possessions carried into the event facility. A list of prohibited items is displayed at each gate entrance and can be viewed here.