Commencement Accommodations

  1. Is there accessible/disabled parking available at commencement? Yes, there is limited disabled parking available along the Parker Ave. entrance of the church. These spots are first-come-first-served and it is not required to have a DMV issued placard on your car to park there.
  2. Do you need to tell anyone that you are utilizing disabled parking? No, you do not need to reserve a spot (or let anyone know). However, the spaces available are first-come-first-served, so we recommend that you arrive early.
  3. Is there accessible seating at commencement? Yes, guests with disabilities are permitted to sit in a designated accessible seating area in the front left of the church. To get there, the guest requiring accessible seating (and their entire party) may enter the church by going up the ramp at the Parker Ave. entrance to scan their tickets. Then, a University Marshal will usher the entire party to the designated seating area.
  4. Does USF provide wheelchairs for guests to use? No, it is required that guests bring their own. Please plan accordingly. 
  5. Are there accommodations for guests with hearing impairments? Yes, we provide closed captioning on the screens located inside the church, as well as closed captioning on screens in overflow locations, and our virtual live stream on Youtube.
  6. What do I do if I (the student) need to request a mobility accommodation for commencement? Please contact Will Vitagliano, Assoc. University Registrar, at wbvitagliano@usfca.edu and he will reply with important information and instructions for the day of the ceremony regarding the accommodation that can be provided.
  7. When should accommodation requests be made? We recommend that requests be made as early as possible, or at least 14 days before the event (by December 1st or May 1st) to best ensure that the requested accommodation can be implemented*. Requests received after this date will be reviewed and implemented on a case-by-case basis. 
  8. What accommodations are provided for guests? 
  • Guests utilizing the accessible seating area are permitted to enter the church before other guests (up to approx. 1 hour before the start of the ceremony, pending the readiness of the church).
  • Dedicated spaces for wheelchairs in the front and middle of the church.
  • Screens with closed captioning for guests who are deaf/hard of hearing.
  • Dedicated accessible bathrooms located inside the church. 
  • Electronic Commencement books that have been remediated for accessibility

*Please note that all accommodations are reviewed on a case-by-case basis in consultation with other campus partners, such as Student Disability Services, when necessary. If the requested accommodation is determined to be unreasonable, the Office of the University Registrar will work with the student and/or guest to determine an alternative reasonable accommodation.