Parking During Commencement
Guest and Graduate Parking
Parking on campus will be affected due to commencement. We encourage guests and graduates to carpool to maximize the use of all available parking spaces. Please obey all posted signs and refrain from parking on grass or fields. View a map of all parking locations.
Parking for graduates and guests during the commencement ceremonies will be available in the Trask Lot (formerly Lot K) with overflow parking available in the Hamilton Lot. Guests with a state-issued Disability Placard are encouraged to park in the Trask lot at Wagoner Drive. If you do not have a state-issued Disability Placard, you may drop family members off in front of Trask Coliseum prior to finding a parking space.
View parking suggestions for departmental events and receptions.
Faculty and Staff Parking
Please note that there are multiple commencement ceremonies taking place over the course of the weekend. In addition to official commencement ceremonies, there are also several departmental receptions in various locations across campus. Parking will be limited in the affected areas. Please allow extra time to find parking and arrive to your desired locations. Contact parking@uncw.edu during regular business hours if you need further assistance.
Ceremony Accessibility & Accommodations
Students may request reasonable accommodations for themselves or their guests via their Commencement Registration account. A member of the commencement team will reach out to all graduates who request accommodations.
For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) captioning will be available for each ceremony. Assisted listening devices and Sign Language Interpreters are also available for graduates and guests upon request (made through the graduate's Commencement Registration account).
Guests with Mobility Concerns
ADA seating accommodations will be provided on the lower level of Trask Coliseum for graduates or guests with mobility concerns. Guests with mobility concerns should enter Trask Coliseum through Gate A and will be assisted by a member of the Commencement team.
Graduates with Mobility Concerns
Graduates with mobility concerns should indicate this on their Commencement Registration account. Graduates are not required to use any stairs during the commencement process. Hanover Gym is accessible by ramp on the Trask side of the building. The path from Hanover Gym to Trask is on one level with no stairs. Additionally, all graduates will cross the stage using a ramped entrance and exit.
Service Animals
Like all on-campus events, UNCW's Commencement exercises follow the university's policy on Service Animals, Emotional Support Animals, and Pets. Per this policy, service animals are permitted to accompany their partner during commencement exercises, given they meet all requirements outlined by policy 05.360. Emotional Support Animals are not permitted in any buildings on campus outside of a student's assigned residential space, and therefore are not permitted in Trask Coliseum.
