The address for UD Arena is 1801 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd. Dayton, OH 45417.

All gates (A, B, C, and D) are open for all graduates and guests attending the commencement ceremony.

• Parking lots will be very crowded; please try to carpool (graduates and families)
• Drop offs will be allowed at B Gate
• ADA accessible parking spots are located in Lot A and Lot C on a first come, first served basis
• Entrance gates will be closed as lots begin to fill; please follow directions of attendants
• Expect heavy traffic to and from campus, here is a map of alternate routes from campus and alternate exit routes from the Arena
• Maps with gates and Arena entrances marked:
  • May 6 - Graduate Ceremony map
  • May 7 - Undergraduate Ceremony map

For the safety of all guests, guests are not permitted to be in the aisle to take photos or videos of their graduates during the ceremony. 

The best opportunity to take a photos/videos of your graduate will be using the jumbotron view as they walk in front of the stage. The ceremony is livestreamed and a recording remains on the Dayton Flyers YouTube page. Students will receive a link in their UD email to a professional photograph of them receiving their diploma cover from our partner, GradImages, approximately one week after the ceremony.

We also recommend that guests and students coordinate a meeting place for after the ceremony, as a majority of guests and students prefer to take photos at that time.

We anticipate the Spring 2023 Doctoral/Graduate ceremony will last approximately 2 and a half hours and the Spring 2023 Undergraduate ceremony will last approximately 3-3 and a half hours.

If you are looking to make plans requiring reservations for after the ceremony, we suggest you account for extra time due to post-ceremony photos with your graduate's friends and guests, as well as traffic exiting the Arena.

An invitation letter from a school official is not required for friends or relatives applying for a visitor’s visa (B visa). Instead, students are encouraged to write their own invitation letters. The letter should be written in English and include the following information:

• Who you are inviting and their relationship to you (e.g. parent, sibling, friend, etc.)
• Purpose and dates of the visit (e.g. vacation, attend graduation, meet new baby, etc.)

A sample letter is provided below for your reference. Issue one letter per person over the age of 21. Children under the age of 21 can be included on their parent’s letter. In addition to your invitation letter, your visitor(s) should also prepare the following:

• Copy of student’s unofficial transcript (found in Degreeworks)
• If student is funding the visit, copies of student’s bank statements from the last 2-3 months
• If self-funding, visitor’s own financial documentation
• Visitor’s proof of employment/proof of property to show ties/intent to return to home country
• Copy of student’s I-20, most recent I-94, and visa

SAMPLE INVITATION LETTER
Items in BOLD require your editing

Dear Consul,

My name is [your name] and I am a [F-1, J-1] student at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio pursuing a [bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral] degree in [field of study]. A copy of my enrollment verification, transcript and [I-20 for F-1 students or DS-2019 for J-1 students] are attached as proof of enrollment.

I wish to invite the following individual for the purpose of [list reason]:

First Name LAST NAME (as appears in passport), date of birth, relationship to you.

My guests will stay at [address of residence] during their time here and the costs of their stay will be covered by [financial information]. Please see attached documentation for details.

I appreciate your help in issuing a tourist visa. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

[Your signature]
[Your printed name]

Summer and Fall graduates can pick up their caps and gowns during the Grad Fair! The Fall 2023 Grad Fair will be held on Wednesday, October 11 and from 9:00 AM-6:00 PM at the UD Bookstore.  

If you have any questions, please contact the UD Bookstore at 937-229-3233 or bookstore@udayton.edu.

• The University of Dayton will be closed from Friday, December 25th-Monday, January 1st. Diploma orders for the Fall 2023 group will resume Tuesday, January 2nd. 
• Dean's offices and Program Coordinators have 30 days after end of term processing is complete to award student's degrees and certificates. After your degree has been conferred by your Dean's office or Program Coordinator, you will receive a congratulatory email!
• After students receive their congratulatory, their diploma is ordered through Parchment within 1-2 business days. Students will receive a text message and email notification when their diploma/certificate has been ordered. You will receive a digital diploma/certificate while your paper diploma/certificate is being created and shipped to your door! 
• The diploma/certificate will be mailed to the address the candidate provided on their graduation application. From the time the diploma is ordered, it takes approximately four weeks for the diploma to arrive to domestic addresses and eight weeks for international addresses. 

As part of our Catholic and Marianist tradition, we invite all Summer and Fall graduates and their guests to celebrate in faith at the Baccalaureate Mass. The Baccalaureate Mass will be held on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 4:30 PM in the University of Dayton Arena

If you would like to volunteer for liturgical ministry at this Mass, please send an email to Colleen Brown, brownc21@udayton.edu.