Current Undergraduate StudentsGraduation Information

VCU School of Business
May 2023 Commencement

Saturday, May 13, Stuart C. Siegel Center
Doors open at approximately 7:00 p.m. 
Ceremony begins at 8:00 p.m. 

Candidates for all business degrees and certificates will be individually recognized. The ceremony will be available via a livestream the day of the event for graduates and guests who prefer to attend virtually. The event will also be recorded and distributed to all graduates after the ceremony.
Ceremony Registration: A registration form was emailed to all graduates on Friday, February 24. All graduates must complete registration no later than Friday, March 24. Requests to attend the ceremony after this deadline may not be granted. If you did not receive an email and believe you are eligible to participate, please email busceremony@vcu.edu as soon as possible.

Tickets: Tickets will be required for all guests until 7:45 PM. A maximum of five guest tickets that guarantee entry until 7:45 PM may be claimed by each graduate until the registration deadline of March 24. Students do not need a ticket for themselves. Guest tickets will be claimed electronically from the Siegel Center via a code emailed to the VCU email of registered graduates in early May. Please do not contact the Siegel Center regarding tickets. Guests without tickets may enter the venue starting at 7:45 PM.
 
Virtual Slides: We will create a virtual slide for all graduates, whether attending in person or virtually. The slide will include each graduate's name and degree. Graduates have the option of submitting a photo and dedicating their degree via the registration form emailed to them. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What time should graduates and their guests arrive to the Siegel Center?

  • Graduating students should arrive to the Broad & Harrison entrance of Siegel Center between 7:00 PM and 7:30 PM. There will be signs directing graduates to the correct entry.
  • Guests with tickets may begin entering the main entrance of Siegel Center at approximately 7:00 PM. Guest tickets guarantee entry until 7:45 PM. At that time, entry will be open to all guests, with or without tickets. Graduates and guests should be mindful that traffic around the venue is likely to be heavy before and after the event.

Will parking be available for graduates and their guests?

Will there be a live stream available?
  • Remote participants may join us virtually via live stream. The live stream will be available on this website on the day of the event. A recording of the live stream will also be available following the event.

How many guests may I invite? 

  • Five guest tickets are allotted to each graduate until the registration deadline of March 24. Guest tickets guarantee entry until 7:45 PM. At 7:45 PM, entry will be open to all guests, with or without tickets.

I have more than five loved ones that want to attend. Why can't I get more tickets? 

  • The short answer is that you may invite as many guests as you like, but only those with tickets will be able to enter Siegel Center before 7:45 PM. 
  • In May 2022, no guest tickets were required, and Siegel Center was close to reaching capacity. We estimate more graduates this year than last. Offering a limited number of early guaranteed entry tickets is an attempt to make sure all graduates can offer (at least some of) their guests priority. Opening the venue to all at 7:45 PM ensures that no unused guest tickets will prevent another graduate's guest from entering the venue and reduces the likelihood that the venue will reach capacity.

Must I wear regalia to participate?

  • Regalia will not be required for the School of Business Commencement. Graduates that do not wish to wear regalia are expected to dress in business attire. Regalia may be purchased at Barnes & Noble @ VCU (1111 W. Broad St.) or online at balfour.com/vcu.

Will there be a university-wide commencement for all VCU students?

2023 Commencement Speaker

Dennis A. Johnson, CFA

Dennis Johnson graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business in 1986 with a Master of Science degree. Mr. Johnson serves on the Board of Directors and Audit Committee for Glass Lewis & Company, one of the world’s leading providers of corporate governance solutions. Dennis serves on the Advisory Board for Siren FX, a London based financial technology company that provides one of the three foreign exchange benchmarks regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Mr. Johnson is the Director of Investments and a member of the Executive Committee for West Coast Financial, a wealth management firm headquartered in Santa Barbara, California.

Previously, Dennis served on the Board of Directors of Texas Industries, a New York Stock Exchange listed company. He served as Chairman of the Council of Institutional Investors Board of Directors and as a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission Investor Advisory Board. He has provided public testimony to the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on investment and finance related matters. Mr. Johnson was a member of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession, International Financial Reporting Standards Roundtable and United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative Asset Management Working Group. Black Enterprise Magazine named Mr. Johnson one of the 75 most influential African Americans on Wall Street.

Dennis began his career in Richmond, Virginia as Treasury Analyst with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia. His professional career includes roles as Managing Director at Citigroup and Head of Global Corporate Governance for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System which is the largest U.S. public pension fund. Dennis served as the Managing Director for the Roy E. Disney, Jr. Family Office, Chief Investment Officer for Comerica Bank and Chief Investment Officer for TIAA. Living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Mr. Johnson served as Chief Strategy Officer for Public Investment Fund which is the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund.

Mr. Johnson has served on the boards of directors of numerous non-profit institutions including Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, Detroit Public Television, Manns Horne Youth Foundation, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Dallas Symphony Foundation, Atlanta Ballet and Virginia Military Institute Foundation.

Finally, Dennis served his country as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves.