December 2024 Commencement

The School of Social Work ceremony will take place at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Guest tickets are not required. 

Note: There will be no re-entry to the GRCC after the ceremony concludes, but graduates and guests are welcome to stay inside after the ceremony for photos for up to 30 minutes.

December 2024 Commencement

Graduating students should arrive no later than noon ET. The ceremony will begin promptly at 1 p.m. No entry is permitted during the processional. The ceremony will conclude by 3 p.m.

Parking for Commencement can be found at the GRCC Parking Deck, located at 351 N. 3rd St. Each graduate will have one free parking spot designated in the deck; additional spots will cost $8 each, and guests can pay with cash or credit card.

Once parked, graduates and guests can proceed to the 3^rd level of the parking deck for building access, or come to the ground level and cross the street to enter at the corner of 5^th & Marshall. 

Alternate parking can be found at the Marriott Parking Garage, located at the corner of 5th & Marshall. GRCC does not validate or provide a refund for alternate parking.

Check-in location: Graduates will be assembling in Room E25A-B on the second floor. GRCC personnel wearing red vests and yellow shirts will be available to direct graduates to the assembly area. 

Wifi access: GRCC_PUBLIC_FREE is the convention center's wireless network, and guests will need to open a browser and put in their email address to connect.

Regalia will be available for purchase at the Barnes & Noble @ VCU on the Monroe Park until Graduation day. If you are unable to attend Grad Fair or visit Barnes & Noble @ VCU, please order your regalia online. Shipping charges will apply to all internet orders. 

Regalia prices, which include cap, gown, hood and tassel, are as follows: bachelor’s set, $63.94; master’s set, $81.94; Ph.D./Ed.D. set, $120.92. Prices do not include sales tax.

Cords and stoles

Cords and stoles are available for purchase at the Barnes & Noble @ VCU locations or online. Professional Education and many more.

Be advised that the processional and recessional involve navigating several sets of stairs. Please wear shoes that you can comfortably walk in. See below for information on wheelchair accessibility.

Graduating students are required to leave all personal items including purses, coats, umbrellas, cameras, etc. at home, in their vehicle or with family during the ceremony. Prohibited items at the GRCC include:

• Alcoholic beverages
• Firearms
• Glass items
• Helium-filled balloons of any kind
• Recreational transportation such as skateboards, in-line skates, roller blades, scooter and hoverboards
• Smoking and use of electronic cigarettes

No outside food or drink is permitted.

A professional photographer will photograph each graduate during the ceremony. Graduates must fill out their contact information on the reader card in order to be contacted by the photography company after the ceremony. 

December 2024 Commencement

VCU's university-wide ceremony will be at 10 a.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. 

Graduates' RSVP

Share your grad pics: Submitted photos will be on display during the university ceremony.

Joint ceremony: 5:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, Dec. 11

Fall 2024 graduates (undergraduate, graduate and professional studies) may participate in the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs’ (OMSA) Cultural Achievement Ceremony. This combined ceremony will host:

• Donning of the Kente Ceremony is a celebration that combines a rich African cultural heritage. 
• Accessibility Achievement Ceremony is a celebration designed for students with a disability, as well as staff and family members who have contributed to their success.
• Latine Achievement Ceremony is a celebration of collective Latinidad.
• Asian Pacific Islander South Asian American Graduation Ceremony is designed to honor the unique cultures of the Asian diaspora.
• Lavender Graduation Ceremony is a celebration designed to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students.
• Native, Tribal, & Indigenous Graduation Ceremony is a celebration designed to provide a space to honor and commemorate graduating Native, Tribal and Indigenous students.

December 2024 Commencement

The GRCC’s goal it to make every guest’s experience exceptional. As such, the facility is fully ADA-compliant, with ramps at exterior entrances and inside the facility, and elevators for easy passage to different levels in both the main facility and the parking deck at 3rd & Marshall Street.

The facility has a limited number of wheelchairs for use during events; they are checked out on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests checking out a wheelchair must provide an ID to be held as collateral.

December 2024 Commencement

The official conferral date for December 2024 degrees is Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. Degrees will post to your record on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. Degrees will not appear on your academic transcript until this date. Degrees will only show for those students who have satisfied all degree requirements and receive final approval. Check your academic transcript via eServices to ensure your degree has been posted before requesting official transcripts.

VCU now offers digital diplomas! These are certified electronic credentials known as a CeDiploma! You will receive an email with a link to download your credential when it is available from our trusted partner, CeCredentialTrust. This service is available to students at a charge of $17.95.

Physical diplomas will be mailed beginning Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, to the address provided during graduation checkout.  Digital (CeDiplomas) diplomas will be available for download beginning Feb. 21, 2025.  To receive your diploma, you must meet all financial obligations to the university. Diplomas will not be released for those students who have not met their financial obligations. Please contact the Office of the University Registrar at (804) 827-1673 or graduation@vcu.edu once those obligations have been met.

Graduates, we hope you will continue to remain engaged with the School of Social Work as alumni and take pride in our national standing as one of the nation’s top schools of social work and the highest-ranked in Virginia.

Whether it's making small contributions to the school when you can, working with your employer to serve as a field placement site, or volunteering your time, your participation in the life of the school has an amazing impact on the students who come next. Join the 12,000+ alumni of the School of Social Work nationwide, and together we can open doors for the next generation of changemakers!

We want to stay connected by sending you our quarterly alumni newsletter; and by sharing events, networking and professional development or continuing education opportunities.

Please take a moment to:

• Update your contact information, including a permanent, non-VCU email address that you regularly check.
• Sign up for VCULink, VCU’s online community for connecting students, alumni and friends of the university for career advice, industry contacts and meaningful professional relationships.
• Explore VCU and SSW continuing education opportunities. 
• Check out Volunteer@VCU.
• Browse the VCU alumni calendar.
• Make a donation.
• Sign up with Handshake to find or share job postings.
• Join our LinkedIn group for alumni.
• Continue to follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram. 

If you have questions or need assistance, you can contact the school’s alumni team at (804) 828-0154 or give2vcussw@vcu.edu.