Know Before You Go

Take the Northway (I-87) south to Exit 1E and stay to the left onto I-90 east (Albany/Boston). Take Exit 2 (Washington Ave/UAlbany) which leads directly through the traffic light into UAlbany.

Take the Thruway north to Exit 24. After the tollbooths, go onto I-90 east towards Boston to Exit 2 (Washington Ave/UAlbany) which leads directly through the traffic light into UAlbany.

Take I-90 west (towards Buffalo) to Exit 2 (Fuller Rd/UAlbany). At the traffic circle, take the 3rd exit onto Fuller Road. At the next traffic circle, take the 3rd exit onto the Washington Avenue ramp, then merge onto Washington Avenue at the traffic light. At the next traffic light, UAlbany will be on your right.

Take the Thruway east to Exit 24. After the tollbooths, go onto I-90 east towards Boston to Exit 2 (Washington Ave/UAlbany) which leads directly through the traffic light into UAlbany.

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• There is no drop-off location at the Broadview Center; instead be sure to stay with your guests to check in together as a group within your 15-minute arrival window.
• Graduates and guests may park in the Dutch Quad lot. Accessible shuttles will be available from this lot to the Broadview Center, as well as a paved sidewalk.
• Accessible parking will be available adjacent to the Broadview Center bus turn-around for vehicles with a valid municipal-issued tag. Additional accessible parking is available at the Dutch Quad Commuter Lot with wheelchair-accessible shuttle buses to the Broadview Center. 
• Please follow relevant event signage once on campus.
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• All parking lots on the Uptown Campus will be available, with the State Faculty Lot reserved for accessible parking for vehicles with a valid municipal-issued tag.
• Colonial Student parking lot and State Student parking lot are about a 3-5 minute walk to the Entry Plaza. 
• Shuttles: Wheelchair-accessible shuttle buses will be available between the Dutch Student parking lot and the Entry Plaza before and after the ceremony.

• No Drop-offs are allowed at the Broadview Center, instead please stay together with your graduate.
• All graduates and guests must arrive together to the Broadview Center (formerly SEFCU Arena) lobby for check-in within your 15-minute arrival window. 
• From there, your full party will be directed to start the walk through the upper level of the Broadview Center, down a set of interior stairs and to your assigned stage on the arena level.
• You will exit the venue via a set of interior stairs to the main lobby (where you entered).
• See ‘special accommodations’ for information regarding the elevator, seating, etc. 

• No Drop-offs are allowed at Collins Circle
• The Undergraduate Ceremony, on Saturday, will be held outdoors on the Entry Plaza Lawn, rain or shine.
• Guests should go directly to the Entry Plaza Lawn where seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The seating area will open 1.5 hours before the ceremony.
• Grads and guests should plan to meet up on the lawn after the ceremony as there is no formal recession.  

Saturday Graduate Check-In:

Graduates must report on Saturday by 10 am to the Academic Podium and check in by their school/college or department in front of the Main Library or the Performing Arts Center (PAC) per the chart below. 

The north end of the Podium will be blocked for entry; graduates must enter the Podium from the south (closer to the Campus Center, Indigenous and Dutch side of the Podium).
 

Water stations will be available in the Small Fountain area, and the Campus Center will be open for restrooms.

Only Registered Service Animals are permitted on campus. The Americans with Disabilities Act stipulates that "service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities."  Pets are not allowed at any commencement venues.

Throughout Commencement weekend, a limited number of handicapped parking spaces for vehicles with a valid municipal-issued tag are available. 

Stage Crossings - Accessible parking will be available adjacent to the Broadview Center bus turn-around, as well as in Dutch Commuter lot, for vehicles with a valid municipal-issued tag. Wheelchair-accessible shuttle buses will be available from the Dutch Commuter lot to the Broadview Center.

Undergraduate Ceremony - all parking lots on the Uptown Campus will be available. Limited accessible parking will be available in the State Faculty Lot reserved for accessible parking with a valid municipal-issued tag. Wheelchair-accessible shuttle buses will be available from the Dutch Student parking lot to the Entry Plaza ceremony.

At all times, please follow any special event signage and/or directions from University Police Officers. Vehicles parked illegally in unmarked parking spots may be ticketed and/or towed.

All Commencement venues, and shuttle buses, are wheelchair accessible. The Broadview Center has an elevator and the Entry Plaza is on flat ground. Please note that guests in need of a wheelchair are required to bring and use their own.

The Stage Crossings will consist of grads and their guests walking along a pre-defined path. Due to the walking nature of the Stage crossings there is no seating as part of these events, but a limited number of chairs will be available near the stage for guests who need them.

The Undergraduate Ceremony will have an accessible seating section, located at the top left corner when you are facing the stage. This section is designated for disabled/frail/elderly guests, along with up to ONE escort, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Live captioning will accompany the livestream of all Commencement events, and the Undergraduate Ceremony will feature an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter.

Accessible restrooms will be available at the Stage Crossings, and accessible portable restrooms will be available outdoors at the Entry Plaza for the Undergraduate Ceremony.

The following items are prohibited at Events at all times unless specifically allowed under conditions presented elsewhere in this policy.

1. Weapons
2. Fireworks
3. Open Fire 
4. Masks, as limited under NYS Penal Law 240.35.4
5. Tobacco and smoking materials
6. Alcoholic beverages
7. Poles: including flag poles, bats and other similar athletic items, clubs, sticks (including sticks used to hold signs), unless the individual is participating in an instructional, performance, or athletic activity, the Pole is required as part of that activity, and the individual is using the item for its intended purpose.
8. Chains

The University reserves the right to prohibit any or all of the following items in addition to items listed in section A of these procedures, at all Events with a potential attendance of more than 200 individuals that are not part of regular, scheduled instructional events on the University at Albany Campuses.

1. Animals, not including service animals
2. Drones or other unmanned aircraft systems, other than for official University use and operated by or under the supervision of Faculty or Staff
3. Glass or other heavy metal containers
4. Signs made of anything other than cloth, paper, foam core, or cardboard
5. Backpacks and bags, other than purses, fanny-packs, and diaper bags which may be subject to search
6. Noisemakers of any kind: including air horns, thunderstix, whistles, cowbells, etc.
7. Chains, padlocks, bicycle locks
8. Umbrellas
9. Laser pointers
10. Megaphones or other amplified sound devices
11. Video camera, tripods and selfie sticks
12. Any other items determined by Authorized Persons to pose a risk to safety or to potentially disrupt University business.