Frequently Asked Questions
Q: My mother is not a person with disability but cannot get around well on the hills at the Academy. Will there be transportation on campus?
A: On Commencement Day and Awards Day, there will be golf carts available for those who cannot negotiate the hills and every accommodation will be made for the comfort and convenience of our guests at graduation. Also available will be wheelchair accessible transportation.
Q: Will there be seating for persons with disabilities, or persons who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices indoors as well as outside?
A: There is special seating for persons with disabilities and persons who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices both indoors and outside. For those with indoor tickets, seating will be in Leamy Auditorium and there are wheelchair areas if needed. Those without indoor tickets will be located elsewhere on campus with other guests where they can all watch the ceremony on closed circuit video. Outdoor seating for persons with disabilities will be at ground level for easier access.
Q: Does my relative have to sit alone if they are a person with a disability, or can the family join them?
A: Guests seated in the area designated for persons with disabilities or persons who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices are permitted to have one family member with them.
Q: When can I start ordering commencement tickets?
A: Commencement ceremony tickets can only be ordered by the cadet on an internal website. The cadet will need to know the name of each guest. The site will be up in the middle of spring semester.
Commencement event tickets can be ordered by anyone online after Spring Break. Your cadet will receive information when the date is set for the site to go live.
Q: How many tickets to graduation are we limited to?
A: Indoor ceremony (in case of very bad weather): Amount is to be determined and the event will be held in Leamy Auditorium (all others may comfortably view the ceremony from elsewhere on campus on closed circuit video.)
Please note: If a relative is presenting the commission to the cadet, that seat must be counted as one of the indoor tickets. This is because seating is very limited in the auditorium for such a large event.
Outdoor ceremony: Historically, 8 (eight) at a maximum seated in the stadium. Subject to change until number is confirmed.
Q: When do we get all the tickets, parking passes, etc.?
A: No items will be mailed out. For Commencement only, tickets, parking information, transportation logistics, security procedures, and other pertinent information will be given to your cadet prior to Graduation Day.
Q: We will be making plane reservations. When is the ceremony usually over
A: Much of that depends on the speaker; however, it usually runs about two to two and half hours.
Q: And then what happens?
A: After the hat toss and the faculty recesses off the field, cadets gather with parents and families at the hat tables where the new ensigns pick up their ensign covers (hats) and shoulder boards. Cadets generally ask a close family member (or someone with whom they have a special relationship) to attach their shoulder boards to their uniform. Very good photo opportunity! Once that is done, the cadets must check out in Chase Hall, gather what’s left of their belongings (if they are smart that would have been mostly accomplished during grad week), and leave. There will be a certain time by which they will be required to be out of the barracks. They will find this out as we get closer to Grad Week. All of this may take as long as another two hours, depending on how organized the new ensign can be.
Q: How can we let anyone know if there are special needs in our family?
A: For the ceremony, your cadet will include it on the list when he/she signs up for ceremony tickets. That will also be the time when the need for accommodations for persons with disabilities and or persons who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices will be noted. For the rest of the week’s events, when you make your ticket purchase, you can note on-line in the “Message to Coordinator” block about dietary restrictions or other challenges and we will do whatever we can within our power to assist.
Q: When do we get all the tickets, parking passes, etc?
A: No items will be mailed out. All tickets, passes, maps, information, schedules and anything else the Academy wants to distribute will be given to the cadets.
