East Carolina School of Dental Medicine Commencement | School of Dental Medicine

School of Dental Medicine Graduation Week Events

Graduate Recognition Breakfast – Graduates and Invited Guests

Wednesday, May 7 at 9:00 am
Greenville Hilton

ECU Commencement

Friday, May 9 at 10:00 am
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium

School of Dental Medicine Convocation Ceremony

Friday, May 9 at 7:00 pm
Wright Auditorium – Ticketed Event

Bus Information for Commencement and Convocation

ECU Commencement, Friday, May 9, 2025

*Tickets are not required for this event.

Two buses will be available for only graduates and faculty to travel to and from Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, making only one trip. Graduates and Faculty will be dropped off at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and will be picked up after Commencement and returned to Ross Hall around 12 pm.

Buses will begin loading at 8:00 AM in front of Ross Hall on the first floor and will depart promptly from Ross Hall at 8:15 AM.

Graduates will line up at: Gate to be announced.

School of Dental Medicine Convocation, Friday, May 9, 2025

*Tickets are required for this event.

Buses will be available for guests to travel to and from Ross Hall and Wright Auditorium, each bus making several trips.

All guest busloads will be ECU Transit buses (purple buses) and will leave beginning at 5:45 PM. As the buses fill, continuous trips between Ross Hall and Wright Auditorium will occur with the last bus departing at 6:40 PM. Ushers and signage will be in place to direct graduates, families, and faculty at Wright Auditorium. Ticketing for parking will be suspended at Ross Hall and on ECU East Campus. Seating of guests will be discontinued at 6:55 PM.

After the Convocation, buses will begin making return trips to Ross Hall. As the buses fill, loading from the same location, and continue to circulate until all have returned to Ross Hall. The last bus will pick up from Wright Auditorium at 8:45 PM.

*Buses are ADA compliant. Individuals requiring accommodations should notify us in advance. You may also email Mary Beth Wadford at wadfordm21@ecu.edu regarding specific requests.

COVID Guidelines

As per current ECU COVID-19 Guidelines, no masks are required but may be a personal choice.

Live Stream

There will be a live stream link for the University Commencement Ceremony posted online on May 9 for the 10 am university ceremony. Please see https://commencement.ecu.edu for more information.

The School of Dental Medicine will provide a live stream which can be viewed by using the player at the top of this page. The recording will be posted here in the days following the Convocation.

Photography

Please note that we will have a professional photographer at the School’s Convocation at 7:00 PM. Soon after the event, we will share the link so that you can browse all pictures from the Convocation. During the event, we do respectfully request that you refrain from getting out of your seats to take additional pictures. The aisles should remain clear at all times.

Parking

For families and guests, parking for the graduation ceremony will be available at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Please see the Parking & Traffic page for more information.

Parking for the School’s Convocation will be available at Ross Hall for convenience if riding the ECU transit buses. Buses will be transporting guests from Ross Hall to the Convocation throughout the afternoon (see the Bus Information above). For information regarding main campus parking, you can check out the parking page, click on the link for “East End of Campus Parking Locations.”

Parking at Wright Auditorium: All of the A1 spaces in front of Whichard Building and Wright Auditorium will be reserved for ADA guests, as well as the spaces along Beckwith Drive. General parking will be available in every adjacent lot to Wright Auditorium as long as it’s not designated as ADA.

Attire and Behavior

Professional attire is requested for graduation events. We recognize the prestigious accomplishments symbolized by the Convocation ceremony. It is a significant event in the lives of students, parents, and families; a welcomed opportunity to celebrate the academic and professional accomplishments of our future leaders. This ceremony is intended to provide memories that will last a lifetime. We need your assistance to ensure each student’s ceremony is conducted in a dignified manner. It is imperative that all graduation participants and attendees conduct themselves in a polite and courteous fashion. Designated ushers will be stationed throughout the event and look forward to serving you during this momentous occasion