Update: Finals 2020 Celebration

We write to provide an update about the Final Exercises 2020 celebration on May 16.

On April 2, we announced that the Finals 2020 celebration would be held on May 16 at 10 a.m. in Scott Stadium. At that time, we noted that depending on response, a second event would need to be scheduled to adhere to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s capacity guidelines. Based on the results of the survey we sent earlier in the spring, we anticipated being able to accommodate all interested members of the Class of 2020 in a single event.

Since opening the ticket portal last week, we’ve been delighted by how many of you are excited to return to Grounds for the May 16 celebration. In fact, so many of you signed up for tickets that the 10 a.m. event was at maximum permitted capacity as of Monday, April 26. To accommodate the growing demand, we have tentatively scheduled a second event on Sunday, May 16 at 3 p.m. 

We recognize that holding two ceremonies is less than ideal for many of you who hoped to participate with friends and with as many classmates as possible, and that some have already made irreversible travel arrangements. As a result, we will continue to monitor the numbers and do everything we can to hold one event for all members of the Class of 2020 at 10 a.m. on May 16 if we are able to adhere to capacity guidelines.

For this to be possible, we need your assistance. If you have reserved tickets, including guest tickets, for the 10 a.m. or 3 p.m. event that you do not plan to use, please contact [email protected] to cancel any tickets you do not need. This will enable a more accurate count for the morning event and to subsequently combine events if the numbers permit. We appreciate your patience and flexibility, as we manage a fluid celebration weekend with restrictions and graduate numbers continuously changing.    

If you have not reserved your tickets yet, tickets are offered through the UVAShots.com system. At this time, all new ticket registrations will be automatically placed by the system into the 3 p.m. event. All members of the Class of 2020 must have a ticket to enter Scott Stadium, and these tickets are not transferable or tradeable. As a reminder, the deadline to claim your ticket and up to two guest tickets is Sunday, May 2. Neither you nor your guests will be able to attend the ceremony if you do not claim tickets before the deadline. 

Following this deadline, we will release an official decision about the event times, and our contingency plans for extreme inclement weather.

We have included more information on the event format, ticket registrations, and financial support below, and we look forward to seeing you on May 16. For more information, please visit the Finals 2020 website.

Sincerely,

Office of Major Events

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Event Format

We look forward to celebrating you and your classmates in recognition of your academic achievements. The format of the event will be similar to the traditional Final Exercises ceremony held on the Lawn. The ceremony will begin with the academic procession down the Lawn en route to Scott Stadium and will feature a keynote speaker, a “re-conferral” of degrees, musical performances, and close with the singing of The Good Old Song. As with all other Final Exercises ceremonies, the degrees will be re-conferred en masse – members of the class are not recognized on an individual basis (individuals’ names are not called, there is no walking across the stage, etc.).

For a complete schedule, including when you should arrive at the Rotunda for the start of the procession, please click here. Guests can watch the procession on the state-of-the-art ‘Hoo Vision’ video board in the stadium and should be in their seats before the Class of 2020 reaches Scott Stadium. Seating at the stadium will be on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Ticket Reservation

If you have a UVAShots.com account that you’ve used in the past year, click here to enter your email address/student ID and password from your student ticketing account.

If you have not previously registered for your student ticketing account on UVAShots.com using your student ID number, please click here. If you need help in creating your UVAShots.com account, please contact [email protected]. 

Once you have logged in to your account, you can claim your ticket and reserve up to two guest tickets. For guests unable to attend, the ceremony will be livestreamed. 

All tickets will be delivered electronically by Wednesday, May 12. Again, Class of 2020 members’ tickets are not transferable or tradeable, but you can share guest tickets with your guests by forwarding the ticket email or by transferring them through your UVAShots.com account. Please note that screenshots of tickets will not work! 

If you or your guests do not have smartphones, please contact [email protected] to make other arrangements to attend your ceremony. 

Financial Support

If financial constraints pose an obstacle for returning to Grounds for the May 16 ceremony, there is monetary assistance available. The Hoos Coming Back Fund was established by generous alumni who wanted to ensure all members of the Class of 2020 were able to return for the rescheduled Final Exercises. Visit the Alumni Association’s Hoos Coming Back Fund page to apply. Funds will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and will be awarded up to $500 per alum.