Current Students - 2024 Darden Final Exercises

Why?

• We want to honor and celebrate your tremendous accomplishment as a graduate of Darden and provide an opportunity for you and your guests to enjoy a meal together.

What?

• A combined Full-Time MBA and Executive MBA celebratory graduation picnic named in honor of Professor Emeritus, Sherwood C Frey, Jr.

When?

• Saturday, 18 May 2024, 12:30 - 2:30 PM following the Academic Regalia Ceremony.

Where?

• Fairweather: Under the tents on the Darden Grounds Faculty Lot Field (grassy area near the North Grounds Recreation Center) and all public areas on Darden Grounds.
• Inclement weather: Please review the Inclement or Severe Weather Plan Tab.

Who?

• All graduates and their friends and family attending the Academic Regalia Ceremony are welcome to join.

Hospitality?

• Self-serve, grab ‘n go boxed lunches (including a meat box, a vegan box, and a GF meat box) will be provided. Packaging will be 100% compostable
• Each of-age guest will receive two complimentary beer/wine drink tickets and there will not be an opportunity to purchase additional alcohol on their own in accordance with UVA alcohol policies
• Nonalcoholic beverage dispensers with water, tea, and lemonade and compostable cups will be available
  • In support of Darden’s sustainability goals, we encourage you to bring your own refillable cup/bottle.
• Stationed dessert tables will be available under the tents.
• An atmosphere of celebration with music and kid-friendly entertainers.

How?

• Post Ceremony: Students will be invited to take a group photo on the steps of Saunders Hall, and guests will be invited to the adjacent Classroom Building to collect their boxed lunch.
  • Seating is limited under the tents. Guests are also welcome to enjoy lunch in any public space at the school. You may also bring a picnic blanket to enjoy your lunch on the Faculty Lot Field.

Zero Waste Event

• This event has been designed to reduce the production of landfill waste.  All components of food packaging, including utensils, napkins, and cups provided by Darden are compostable. Composting stations are located in the school and by the event tents for you to compost your waste (event map coming soon).  We kindly request you not contaminate the composting receptacles with waste from items brought from home or with aluminum or glass containers that can go into recycling bins.  We truly appreciate your assistance in our effort to provide a sustainable environment on Darden Grounds.

Each Graduate is allowed one(1) D10 Garage Parking Pass (D1 lot available for overflow) for graduation weekend, and six(6) Tickets for the Lawn Ceremony.

Lawn Ceremony - Seating is available for Graduates and six(6) Guests. Children under the age of two(2) and sitting on a lap do not need a ticket.

Electronic tickets must be claimed through the Office of Major Events by 9 May.

Electronic Tickets will be distributed digitally during the second week of May, no later than 9 May, using the Virginia Athletics ticketing system (Paciolan). An email from the Office of Major Events and External Relations will be sent to all degree candidates’ UVA email addresses (ex. [email protected]) with instructions on how to claim tickets. Degree candidates must have a registered student account with Virginia Athletics in order to claim tickets.

• Only Guests with UVA Lawn Ceremony tickets will be permitted on The Lawn.
• Guests without tickets will be directed to remote viewing sites (please see the Remote Viewing tab).
• Please inform guests of UVA's Clear Bag Policy.

* Please refer to the Inclement or Severe Weather Plan tab for potential changes to location, seating, and tickets.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Guest tickets for Final Exercises at the University of Virginia have NO cash value.  
• The selling or bartering of Final Exercise tickets is strictly prohibited and is considered an honor offense.  
• If you are discovered to be selling or bartering Final Exercises tickets:  
  • May lead to loss of guest ticket access.
  • Your guest ticket(s) being voided.
  • Referral to the Honor Committee.

Darden Academic Regalia Ceremony - No tickets are required for the Flagler Court Ceremony

* Please refer to the Inclement or Severe Weather Plan tab for potential changes to location, seating, and tickets.

Full-time MBA Caps and Gowns, Alcohol Service Wristbands, and D10 Parking Pass will be distributed in mailboxes located in front of the Office of Student Affairs. The distribution date is TBD.

Executive MBA Caps and Gowns, Alcohol Service Wristbands, and D10 Parking Pass will be distributed during LR2.

There are no extra Parking Passes available. If you do not need your Parking Pass consider offering them to one of your peers.

If you are unable to pick up your items please contact [email protected] for arrangements.

Zero Waste Event

This event has been designed to reduce the production of landfill waste.  All components of food packaging, including utensils, napkins, and cups provided by Darden are compostable. Composting stations are located in the school and by the event tents for you to compost your waste (event map coming soon).  We kindly request you not contaminate the composting receptacles with waste from items brought from home or with aluminum or glass containers that can go into recycling bins.  We truly appreciate your assistance in our effort to provide a sustainable environment on Darden Grounds.

Lawn Ceremony(Sunday, May 19): In the case of inclement or severe weather, The Lawn Ceremony will be moved to the John Paul Jones Arena. Three(3) of the six(6) tickets you receive for the Lawn Ceremony can be used if the ceremony is moved to JPJ.

Darden Academic Regalia Ceremony(Saturday, May 18): In the case of severe weather, this ceremony will be moved to The Forum Hotel Ballroom and will be for graduates only. All Darden locations will be available for guests to view the ceremony remotely.

All Darden Sherwood Frey Graduation Picnic(Saturday, May 18): In the case of severe weather, all activities will be moved to Saunders Hall and all public areas and classrooms will be available for seating.

Darden Ceremony:

Contact Rachel Dudzik at [email protected], prior to Final Exercises if disability accommodations are needed.

Please note that all busses to The Lawn are ADA accessible. For information related to The Lawn Ceremony and accessibility, please visit the UVA Finals website.

Lawn Ceremony:

Should you require disability-related accommodations, please send your request to [email protected] as early as possible, but no later than April 14, 2024, so that they have ample lead time to arrange for the necessary accommodations.

Examples of accommodations may include real-time captioning, ASL-English interpreting services, accessible digital copies of programs, accessible seating, and accessible parking.  Please include the following information in your request:

1. Full Name:
2. Contact Information:
3. Degree Candidate:
   a. Name:
   b. School/Department/Major:
4. Date and Location of the Event:
5.  Accommodation requested:

The ceremonies may be viewed live at Darden in classrooms, in the Abbott Lounge, and online via this page during the event, our YouTube channel or via Zoom meeting. This year, our streams will be closed-captioned (machine-generated) for added accessibility. Captions can be toggled on/off by the viewer in both the YouTube player and Zoom application.

Watch via YouTube

Watch via Zoom

UVA Programs will be available at the Lawn, and Darden Programs will be available before the ceremony begins. 

A photographer will photograph each graduate during the ceremony and will take a Class of 2024 photo in front of Saunders Hall afterward.

Information on ordering prints will be emailed by Grad Images to Graduates once the photos are ready.