2023 Development Commencement Memo

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The Office of Leadership Events is looking forward to working with you as we plan for the Class of 2023 Commencement Weekend (May 20 & 21, 2023). Outlined below is important information regarding requests for:

  • Commencement Mass Preferred Seating – Saturday, May 20

  • President’s Cocktail Reception invitation criteria and special requests – Saturday, May 20 immediately following Mass

  • University Commencement Ceremony Preferred Seating – Sunday, May 21

To help you manage the important deadlines and instructions for each event, please refer to the 2023 Commencement Request Guide.

CRITERIA AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMMENCEMENT REQUESTS

All requests must be requested with the Google Form no later than Friday, April 28, 2023.

COMMENCEMENT MASS
Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center
Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 5:00  – 6:30 pm

  • Mass Preferred Seats: 

    • We will coordinate a limited number of Mass reserved seats in Section 11 at Purcell Pavilion.

    • Google form requests may be entered for donors with $1M+ household extended giving.

    • Maximum number of seats per request is limited to four.

    • Note that Trustees and PLC/Deans will receive a registration form from the President’s Office to request reserved Mass seating; all other requests must be entered with the Google form.

    • Fundraisers should not request seating for themselves.

    • Doors open at 3:30 p.m. Please encourage early arrival for donors without preferred seats. If necessary, overflow seating will be provided in Heritage Hall and the Monogram Room.

PRESIDENT’S COCKTAIL RECEPTION
Club Naimoli at Purcell Pavilion 
Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 6:30 – 7:30 pm (immediately following Mass)

  • President’s Cocktail Reception Invitations:

    • The following donor groups (with a 2023 undergraduate) will automatically be invited to the President’s Cocktail Reception:

      • Trustees (both parents and grandparents, if the Trustee is the grandparent)

      • For Good Cabinet (both parents and grandparents, if the Cabinet member is the grandparent)

      • Principal Donors (both parents and grandparents, if the Principal donor is the grandparent)

      • Advisory Council parents

      • President’s Circle & Cavanaugh Council parents

      • Jesse Harper Council parents

      • Cardinal O’Hara Dean’s Circle parents

      • St. Thomas More Leadership Circle parents

      • RHF – Athletics Director’s Circle parents

      • $250K+ parents, based on household extended giving

      • Faculty/Staff parents

    • Special requests may be made via the Google Form for donors outside the automatic invite criteria outlined above. Priority will be given to donors $100K+ household extended giving – limited to undergraduates and their parents.

    • Those who meet the automatic invitation criteria, plus any additional approved donors requested via the Google form, will be invited via a formal invitation from Fr. Jenkins. These invitations will be emailed by Friday, April 14, 2023.

    • Please note that this reception is intended for undergraduates and their parents; invitations will not be extended to graduate students/families.

    • Fundraisers should not request an invitation to the President’s Cocktail Reception for themselves; invitations are limited as indicated above.

COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY
Notre Dame Stadium (Severe Weather Location: Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center)
Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 9:30 am (doors open at 8:00 am; processional begins at 9:00 am)

  • Commencement Ceremony Preferred Seats: 

    • We will coordinate seating for the Commencement Ceremony within the preferred (blue) seats on the east side of the stadium.

    • Google form requests may be entered for donors:

      • $350K+ household extended giving

      • Advisory Council parents

      • President’s Circle & Cavanaugh Council parents

      • Jesse Harper Council parents

      • Cardinal O’Hara Dean’s Circle parents

      • St. Thomas More Leadership Circle parents

      • RHF – Athletics Director’s Circle parents

    • Please note you must enter a request for tickets even if the donor meets the criteria.

    • Google form requests may be entered for donors who do not meet the criteria. These requests will be reviewed and approved if seating is available.

    • Maximum number of seats per request is limited to six.

    • Note that Trustees and PLC/Deans will receive a registration form from the President’s Office to request preferred Commencement seating; all other requests must be requested on the Google form.

    • Fundraisers may request preferred seats for themselves on the Google form, to sit with key benefactors. Please note as #sitwith in comments section. Preferred seating requests for fundraisers will not be honored if the Commencement Ceremony moves indoors to Purcell Pavilion.

    • All other Commencement Ceremony seating will be open seating and tickets are required (please read below for detailed information on general admission and severe weather tickets).

IMPORTANT NOTE

  • In all cases, please do not communicate a possible invitation or preferred seating until you are notified via a confirmation email. Until all requests are received, it is unknown exactly how the invitations and tickets will be apportioned.

  • You will find the report of donors with a prospective 2023 graduate in the HERE. Please note, this is an extensive workbook containing four tabs, including both parents and grandparents of 2023 graduates. Please carefully review the list to determine donor eligibility for consideration and if any of your donors are not reflected on the reports.

APPROVALS

GENERAL ADMISSION AND SEVERE WEATHER TICKET INFORMATION  

General Admission Tickets
If the Commencement Ceremony is in the stadium, tickets for general admission (GA) are required. The number of GA tickets per graduate is not limited but graduates must request GA tickets as instructed by the Registrar’s Office. Please reference the Registrar’s guidance on the Commencement website. Please note GA tickets are all mobile this year and will be sent to all graduates the week of May 15, 2023.

Severe Weather Tickets
The Office of Leadership Events does not handle severe weather tickets.

  • All students, regardless of whether they have GA tickets or preferred seats from Development, will receive severe weather guest tickets as instructed by the Registrar’s Office.

    • Undergraduates are allotted up to three (3) severe weather guest tickets from the Registrar; graduate students are allotted up to two (2) severe weather guest tickets. These tickets will be emailed a few days before Commencement if there is a chance we move to the Joyce.

  • If the Severe Weather Plan is activated:

    • The Commencement Ceremony will move from Notre Dame Stadium to the Purcell Pavilion; graduates will be notified via the ND Emergency Alert system.

    • Graduates and faculty in academic attire will be admitted to the Purcell Pavilion without a ticket. However, only guests with a severe weather ticket will be seated in Purcell Pavilion.

    • The Commencement Ceremony will be broadcast live in the Joyce Center North Dome, auditoriums in the DeBartolo Hall classroom building, and other large auditoriums in nearby buildings as announced. This will allow guests without a severe weather guest ticket to view the event live.

    • It is very important to note that donors in the preferred seats will not have preferred seats should the Commencement Ceremony move to Purcell Pavilion. Please communicate to your donors that should the Severe Weather Plan be implemented, they will need to find general seating in Purcell Pavilion utilizing their graduates three allotted severe weather tickets.

TICKET DISTRIBUTION
Commencement tickets are scheduled to be distributed as follows. All tickets will be sent via email (general admission and preferred seating)

  • Monday, May 15: Every student will receive an email with their general admission ticket. This ticket can be shared via email with all of their guests.

  • Tuesday, May 16: Development Preferred seating will be sent via email to all approved benefactors.

ACCOMMODATIONS
A limited inventory of rooms at the Morris Inn is managed by the Office of Leadership Events, and is available for the honorary degree recipients and Trustees. All donor requests have been approved HERE. Please review and email Stephanie Mead if you have questions or additional requests by Friday, April 17. Guest confirmations have been sent, please communicate with your benefactors if they have been approved.

QUESTIONS/ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Please contact the Office of Leadership Events with questions at sep@nd.edu

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