Here's where you'll find everything you need to know leading up to Commencement - in one place!
Students
Students need to arrive to the Hamel Recreation Center one (1) hour before the scheduled start of their ceremony.
You'll check in, grab your "name card" and then get into line. Faculty and staff will be on hand to help!
Students must be in their cap and gown. While there is no dress code for what to wear under your gown, most graduates like to wear something nice to celebrate the occasion.
Be mindful of your footwear as you'll be doing a lot of walking and standing on concrete.
Gowns need to be zipped.
Graduates will be seated alphabetically by college. This helps make it easier for your families to catch your big moment when you walk across the stage!
When you check in, you'll be given a card with your name and a QR code on it. Hang on to this card! You'll be asked for it when you walk across the stage. Faculty will be on hand to let you know when it's time to cross the stage!
Families and Guests
Doors will open one (1) hour prior to the start of the ceremony. Traffic is likely to accumulate throughout the day particularly for those arriving for the afternoon ceremonies on Saturday.
There are no restrooms in the lobby of the Whittemore Center. There will be portable restrooms outside the building. Please plan accordingly.
Be sure to allow yourself time to get from the parking lot to the Whittemore Center Arena.
Be in your seat by the 20 minute mark before the scheduled start of your ceremony to catch the processional!
Parking is available for all guests in Lot A. Guests can then walk or take the ADA accessible shuttle to the Whittemore Center Arena. Parking staff and UNH PD will be on hand to direct all parking. Please follow their instructions to ensure the traffic moves as smoothly and quickly as possible.
Guests with ADA placards for their vehicles can park at the Elliott Alumni Center parking lot on a first come, first served basis.
Most other lots on campus will be open. However, the shuttles will only be servicing Lot A.
Just like parking, all seating is available on a first come, first served basis.
There is wheelchair accessible seating around the concourse of the arena. The top rows of seating is reserved for guests with other mobility challenges. We ask that guests be respectful of those who may need these seats when choosing where to sit.
The following items are prohibited from the Whittemore Center Arena.
- Alcohol
- Animals (excluding service animals)
- Artificial noise makers
- Balloons
- Cigarettes and Lighters
- Laser pointers
- Signs and Flags
- Weapons
Yes! We will have a vendor selling flowers in the lobby of the Whittemore Center.
The UNH Bookstore will also be on hand selling a variety of merchandise.
There is no reentry to the arena so we encourage you to buy your gifts before finding a seat. You can also return to the lobby after the ceremony has ended to purchase items.
The UNH Transportation Team and UNH PD have worked to develop plans to keep tracking moving as smoothly as possible. In order to keep traffic moving, we ask that you follow the directions of the UNH PD officers stationed around the ceremony. This may mean altering your planned traffic pattern as some roads will be closed to certain traffic. Your exit route will depend on where you are parked so we recommend using GPS so that your route is automatically updated based on the directions UNH PD asks you to go.
