2025 Commencement at Dakota State University (A-Z Guide)

Attendees of the hooding ceremony must enter through the main east doors of the Dakota Prairie Playhouse. Graduates will access the conference center space for staging through the main doors. Restroom facilities in the lobby of the Dakota Prairie Playhouse are open to the hooding ceremony attendees. Doors open at 8 a.m. for hooding ceremony graduates and attendees. The ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m.

Attendees of the commencement ceremony must enter through the main west entrance to the DSU Fieldhouse. Restrooms in the Fieldhouse lobby are open to ceremony attendees. Doors open at 9 a.m. to allow attendees to be seated. The ceremony begins promptly at 10:30 a.m. with the formal procession.

Graduates will stage in the Madison Community Center double gym and are required to enter through Door 4 of the community center. This entrance will be marked with signage. Restroom facilities in the Fieldhouse will be available for graduates in that space.  Graduates may not use the main DSU Fieldhouse entrance.

Commencement attendees, including graduates and ceremony participants, and their belongings are subject to search upon entry. Please keep the lines moving quickly by leaving bags at home unless necessary. See below for bag policy

Accessible seating and accommodations are available upon request. Please email events@dsu.edu or call 605-256-5666 for more information. These seats are included in your four (4) total tickets.

• NO outside food and beverage may/may not be brought into the facilities. Vending machines and water fountains will be available.
• NO aluminum, glass, metal, or steel bottles/containers.
• Medically necessary items that fall under this category are allowed but must follow guidelines (See Medically Necessary Items below).
• NO hydration packs
• The venue is tobacco free.
  • Prohibited tobacco items include: alcohol of any kind, cigarettes, cigars, electronic cigarettes, chewing/smokeless tobacco, sniff/snus, pipes, water pipes, bidis, and kraters, vapes, or vape refills.

Pets are not permitted within DSU athletics facilities. Service animals are permitted.

• ALL BAGS ARE SUBJECT TO SEARCH.
• While bags are allowed, clear bags or no bags will expedite entry to Fieldhouse ceremony. Please consider not bringing a bag.
• Under no circumstances will an employee accept a bag for "safe keeping,” take possession of any such bag, or otherwise control such bag.
• Ticketed guests are permitted to bring in one (1) bag only.
• Graduates will not have bag storage during the ceremony and are encouraged to arrive with only what they need for the ceremony.

Banners and signs are allowed if they are in good taste, follow the event code of conduct (below), non-commercial, no larger than 8.5" x 11”, and do not obstruct views or facility signage. They cannot be on poles or hung in a fixed location. Staff reserves the right to remove any banner or sign.

Cameras are permitted. Camera bags, monopods, selfie sticks, tripod, GoPro mounts, and other attachments are not allowed. Drones are not allowed.

Event Management and Police Department personnel reserve the right to remove any attendees who disobey any policies or present a safety risk.

The following behavior is prohibited:

• Abusive, foul, or disruptive language and obscene gestures
• Fighting, taunting, or threatening remarks or gestures
• Obscene or indecent clothing
• Inappropriate displays of affection
• Sitting in a location other than your assigned seating zones
• Interference with the event
• Trespassing into restricted areas
• Any activities prohibited by law

Designated areas in front of the Dakota Prairie Playhouse and DSU Fieldhouse are available for dropping off passengers.

Dakota State University fully supports the First Amendment right to free speech and recognizes the importance of open dialogue to the free exchange of ideas. This freedom of expression is vital to the shared goal of the pursuit of knowledge.

This protection is not absolute, and there is a Board of Regents’ policy (SD BOR Policy 6.13.1) to ensure that these expressive activities do not interfere with the institution’s mission and operations or with the rights of others. Students, employees, and their guests must comply with this and other board policies, including DSU’s institutional policy (DSU Policy 5.1).

DSU officials have designated the parking lot located at 9th Street NE and Washington Avenue, and the green space to the south of the Dakota Prairie Playhouse, as areas as expressive activity zones for this event.

Per university policy, any group not officially affiliated with DSU or not hosted by a registered student organization must register their planned expressive activities through the Office of Student Affairs before the event. Groups may request approval through this online form, or by contacting Amy Crissinger at amy.crissinger@dsu.edu.

Please contact university staff in the facilities if first aid is necessary. In case of emergency, dial 911.

Lost items are kept by university staff in the DSU Fieldhouse lobby through the event. Unclaimed items (except clothing) are turned over to Events Staff after the event. For information on lost items, please contact 605-256-5666.

Dakota State University Commencement ceremonies will be broadcast live, for free. The live stream for each of the ceremonies will begin 15 minutes prior to the start. 

Where to Watch

Hooding Ceremony

Commencement Ceremony

Official media representatives wishing to cover the ceremonies must RSVP to mediarelations@dsu.edu by Noon on Thursday, May 8. Upon confirmation, credentialed media will be granted access to both the Graduate Hooding Ceremony and the main Commencement Ceremony in the Fieldhouse on Saturday. Credential pickup information will be forwarded to approved media.

Only credentialed media personnel will be permitted access to these events.

• Anyone needing prescription medicine at the event must present the pharmacy-labeled container which states the medication, dosage, and patient name to our medical staff at each entrance gate. Patrons are only allowed a sufficient supply of the prescribed medication for that day.
• If you’re bringing prescription medication, be sure that the name on the label matches the name on your ID.
• Medicines needing to be inhaled or smoked are prohibited unless in a prescribed inhaler.
• Over-the-counter medications are allowed in a sufficient supply for the event. Bottle contents will be verified by medical personnel at the entry gates.
• Diaper bags and appropriate items within (bottles, formula, breast milk, sippy cups, wet wipes, diapers, etc.) are allowed but are subject to additional screening.

Please be aware of the current road construction on Interstate 90 near Sioux Falls, as well as Highway 34 in the town of Colman (with reported wait times between 15 and 20 minutes), and Highway 81 North of Madison (with reported wait times between 10 and 15 minutes). Plan for additional travel time or consider alternate routes.

Graduates and their guests are invited to park in lots designated for commencement attendees. These are located near the Dakota Prairie Playhouse, DSU Fieldhouse and Beacom PREMIER Complex. As well, parking is encouraged along public roadways, where allowed by law, and in additional parking locations throughout campus.

Campus guests that are not physically attending commencement ceremonies are asked to park in lots located near Heston Hall, the Karl E. Mundt Library, and Kennedy Center, along the streets south of East Hall or at Madison High School and along residential streets.

The parking lot on the corner of 9th Street NE and Washington Avenue, and green space South of the Dakota Prairie Playhouse, has been designated as an area for expressive activity and is unavailable for commencement attendee parking.

• One (1) bag per guest. All bags are subject to search.
• Cameras, though accessories including monopods, selfie sticks, tripod, GoPro mounts, and other attachments are not allowed. Please avoid camera bags as much as possible.
• Flat seat cushion
• Extra clothing
• Diaper bag (after inspection)
• Banners and signs not larger than 8.5” x 11”, provided they are in good taste, follow code of conduct (above) and are not of a commercial nature.
• Binoculars
• Personal size hand sanitizer
• Medically necessary items (see Medical section)

• NO bicycles, skateboards, skates, hoverboards, Segways, or electric scooters
• NO chairs or stools
• NO blankets, towels, or sheets
• NO coolers (exceptions may be made for medical use)
• NO drugs or drug paraphernalia
• NO eye drops
• NO weapons of any kind (guns, ammo, knives of any size, tasers, pepper spray/mace, etc.)
  • This also applies to off-duty law enforcement and concealed carry permits
• NO strollers
• NO umbrellas of any size
• NO walkie talkies or two-way radios
• NO large full head masks, including headdresses
• NO laptop computers or tablets
• NO lasers or pointers
• NO metal aerosol containers, including sunscreen, pepper spray, bug spray, or spray paint (non-flammable are permitted)
• NO flashlights
• NO flammables (fireworks, explosives, road flares)
• NO flyers, samples, giveaways, or promotional items
• NO noisemaking devices
• NO balls or frisbees
• NO pliers

A professional photographer will take photos of each graduate and can be purchased directly from the photographer. Guests may take their own photographs during the ceremony but must remain outside of the candidate seating area, in order to ensure an enjoyable ceremony for all candidates. Guests will have time after the ceremony to take personal photographs on the stage, near commencement flags, and other spots within and around the DSU Fieldhouse.

Accessible restrooms are available for attendees to use in the Dakota Prairie Playhouse and DSU Fieldhouse.

South Dakota law enforcement and DSU officials will be present throughout the day in various capacities to assist in security and the overall guest experience. Please report any security issues immediately to uniformed personnel. If you see something, say something.

The Hooding Ceremony will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. at the Dakota Prairie Playhouse. Doors will open at 8 a.m. to allow guests to be seated. No tickets are needed for this ceremony. All master's and doctoral graduates should arrive in their regalia by 8:15 a.m. and go directly to the conference room area to line up.

The Commencement Ceremony will begin promptly at 10:30 a.m., and the Fieldhouse doors will open at 9 a.m. to allow guests to be seated. All graduates, master's and doctoral graduates should arrive by 9:45 a.m. at the Madison Community Center double gym, by way of Door 4.

All Dakota State University facilities are tobacco-free. Prohibited tobacco items include: cigarettes, cigars, electronic cigarettes, chewing/smokeless tobacco, sniff/snus, pipes, water pipes, bidis, and kraters, vapes, or vape refills.

Please note that reserved tickets are required for entry to the Fieldhouse Ceremony. All tickets for the ceremony have been distributed and are no longer available. Tickets can be printed or digitally saved and presented at commencement. Tickets have been distributed to graduates’ trojans.dsu.edu emails to share with guests.

Tickets should be transferred to guests ahead of ceremony entrance, as graduates and guests will enter separately (see Access above).

Every guest must have a ticket to be admitted, including children over the age of 2. This ticket policy will be strictly enforced.

Graduates are not required to have a ticket for themselves.

If your guests do not have a valid ticket, they will be asked to walk over to the Dakota Prairie Playhouse for the livestreamed ceremony. No tickets are required for that viewing location.

Ushers and security are there to assist you and enforce facility rules. Treat them with courtesy and respect. Their role is to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all guests.

For information not listed here, please contact 605-256-5666.