Information for Families and Guests of High School Graduates
UNF Department of Recreation and Wellness hosts various events in the UNF Arena including high school graduations for local schools. Please refer to the information on this page to guide you in preparing for this special occasion. Please contact your school for specific information and graduation tickets.
Parking & Arrival
Commencement ceremonies take place at the UNF Arena, Building 34. Directional signage around campus will guide guests to Lot 18, the event parking lot. Specific directions from your location to the UNF campus are available from the campus map website. Parking is complimentary. Guests with disabilities should follow signage for disability parking.
Guests with disability parking placards have two options for parking. Lot 34 (behind the Arena) is accessible through Varsity Lane. Once this lot is full, guests with disabilities will be directed to the Arena Parking Garage. Please display your placard so the Parking and Traffic team can direct your vehicle to the correct location. Please be aware that you may not park in spaces marked Designated or Reserved without an appropriate permit.
Guests needing to be dropped off close to the Arena should pull through Student Union (Building 58, adjacent to the Arena Parking Garage) drive which allows for drop-off nearest the cross walk to the Arena. Guest drop-off will not be permitted from the main roadway in order to facilitate traffic flow.
Considerations for the Arena Parking Garage: it supports the university's students and staff and is priority parking for graduation guests with disabilities; do not back-in to parking spaces; it can take up to an hour for the garage to clear following a ceremony. Large vehicles or SUVs should avoid parking on the ramps for safety precautions. Please note there is a vehicle height restriction of 8 feet and 2 inches on the 1st floor and 7 feet on the ramps and upper floors of the garage. For vehicles bigger than these measurements, please park in Lot 18.
The doors to the Arena will open to guests up to an hour and a half before the ceremony to accommodate guest volume. Your school’s graduation ticket is required for entry. Concessions and flower sales will be available within the Arena.
Please allow time for parking, walking to the Arena, and the security checkpoint.
Security and Bag Policy
Please anticipate the security checkpoint upon entry in to the UNF Arena. All guests will proceed through a mag-gate security screening (includes clear bag-check and wanding) before gaining entrance to the ceremony. Please review the UNF bag policy. Only clear bags and clutch with shoulder strap and clutch with wrist strap are permitted per the clear bag policy. Guests with bags that do not meet the policy will not be permitted access into the Arena. No weapons of any type will be permitted. Outside food and drink is not permitted. Please have your graduation ticket in hand.
Tickets
Tickets are provided by the host school. Guests will need to present a ticket for entry to the Arena. The following applies for schools requiring tickets for entry: Children age two (2) years of age and under are not required to have a ticket, but should also be held in the lap of an attendee. Children age two (2) and under should not occupy a seat. If you bring an infant in a car seat/carrier, they will need a ticket because the carrier would take a seat. Children who are 3 years old and over, must have a ticket for entry into the Arena. Be advised that strollers brought into the Arena cannot be taken up into the seating area.
Seating
Guest seating is first-come, first-serve. There are special seating areas for guests with mobility issues or in wheelchairs. An usher can direct your party to these areas. No guests are permitted in the students' seating area at any time. Guests will not be seated during the processional; late arrivals must wait until the procession ends.
During the Ceremony
Photographs. Photographs are encouraged and limited to from either your seat or the two locations in the upper level of the Arena that are designated for photography. Please be mindful of those around you, and do not linger after taking your pictures. Do not stand along the walkway on the second level at any time. This is essential for safety reasons, and in order to assure that all graduate candidates can be seen by their families.
Remain seated. For the safety of all guests, aisles and walkways should remain clear. Guests are prohibited from standing in aisles or walkways. Event staff will ask standing guests to take their seats. Non-compliant guests will be asked to leave. Guests and families are not permitted on the main floor or stage where graduates and school parties are seated. Guests should remain seated through the processional (graduates exiting) before uniting with their graduate in the plaza outside.
General Etiquette. Out of respect for your graduating senior and the enjoyment of all families and guests, please silence cell phones; remain seated for the entire ceremony; hold applause and refrain from loud celebrations until the conclusion of the ceremony, so that all families can hear their graduate's name announced.