Your support has helped your graduate get to this day, and it’s your support and encouragement that makes Commencement day special. Join us in honoring an achievement that carry these students through all of their future endeavors.
You are vital to the celebration
Commencement Ceremony
Date: Sunday, May 10, 2026
Time: Procession at 5:30 p.m., Ceremony at 6 p.m.
Location: Joyce Center at the University of Notre Dame
113 Joyce Center
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Live Broadcast: Commencement.iu.edu
No Tickets Needed
Commencement is not a ticketed event. Graduates may invite as many family and friends as they would like. Guests may enter the Joyce Center at 4:30 p.m. through the main entrance (Gate 9) or Gate 10. There will be a bag check upon arrival. Seating is general admission and available on a first come, first served basis.
Venue and Parking
Commencement will be held at the Joyce Center on the University of Notre Dame campus with doors opening at 4:30 p.m. and a procession beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Parking is free and available in the lots off of Joyce Drive. Please follow the directions from the parking attendants.
For those concerned about walking, please plan to drop guests off in front of the Joyce Center before parking.
Accessible Parking: Handicap parking is available lots for vehicles with a state approved license plate or hang tag, on a first come, first served basis. These spaces may be a distance from the Joyce Center, so you may want to drop off guests at the entrance before parking.
Safety Screening
Indiana University operates Commencement venues in accordance with best practices for guest safety as recommended by Indiana University Public Safety and Institutional Assurance. Upon arrival at the venue, guests may be asked to walk through metal detectors.
- While we don't anticipate a clear bag policy to be enforces, bags will be inspected by trained security staff as guests enter.
- For the safety of all guests and to ensure all attendees have an unobscured view of the ceremony, these items are not permitted in the venue: signs, banners, balloons, placards, flags, noisemakers, weapons, outside food/beverage, smoking, tobacco, or e-cigarettes, money bouquets/leis, selfie sticks, go pros, lasers/pen pointers, packages, and backpacks/bags.
- Similarly, graduating students are screened upon arrival at the graduate robing and lineup location.
This policy reflects similar policies at universities and professional venues around the country. For more information, contact psia@iu.edu.
Accessibility Information
Our Commencement team provides accommodations for graduates and guests. A stage lift is available for graduates. Seating for guests utilizing a wheelchair or scooter is available in the arena, and elevators for guests with limited mobility are available at Gate 9 (main entrance). The ceremony will include open captions on video screens. For more information or to request additional accommodations, please contact the Office of Campus Events and Special Projects at stsalisb@iu.edu.
Accessible Parking: Handicap parking is available lots for vehicles with a state approved license plate or hang tag, on a first come, first served basis. These spaces may be a distance from the Joyce Center, so you may want to drop off guests at the entrance before parking.
Weather
In the event of inclement weather the day of the event, students, families, and friends are encouraged to visit the university website and social accounts for updates and safety recommendations. Go to southbend.iu.edu or any of IU South Bend’s social media accounts for the latest developments.
Graduation Photos
Photographs may be taken at any point during the ceremony; however, you may be restricted from photographing in certain areas. Indiana University contracts a photographer to take photos of the graduates in their caps and gowns. Graduates do not need to sign up for these photographs before the ceremony. A photographer will take their picture after they step from the stage holding their diploma covers. Proofs and order forms will be mailed to you after graduation, or you can preorder photos.
Order link coming soon.
Celebrate your Graduate
Capture the moment
Preorder digital or printed professional photos taken by GradImages during the procession lineup.
Make it official
Order personalized announcements, a class ring, or diploma frame through Herff Jones.
Browse mementos
Give a bouquet
Order from IU’s exclusive Commencement vendor to have flowers ready for pick up at the ceremony.
Participating in Commencement was incredibly moving for me, to be able to walk the same steps my family had when they graduated IUSB years prior. Having them there to support me made it feel as though they were walking with me the whole time, telling me how proud of me they were for crossing that finish line.
Reagan Ayala, B.A. 2024
