May 19, 2023

Dear Drexel Dragons,

We know how important it is for the Drexel community that we do all we can to provide memorable opportunities for our graduating Dragons to celebrate their grand accomplishments with their family, friends, and classmates. Like you, we were extremely disappointed that our University-wide Commencement ceremony at Citizens Bank Park had to be cancelled due to unavoidable scheduling conflicts. With recent changes to the Phillies' concert schedule, a possibility opened up for the Drexel community to gather and celebrate the Class of 2023 at Citizens Bank Park — and we are delighted to announce that we will be hosting a University-wide Commencement ceremony at the ballpark on Friday, June 16 at 5 p.m. ET!

We hope you'll join us for this special event, where our newest Forever Dragons will get the chance to process around the baseball field and have their degrees conferred by President John Fry before being officially welcomed into the ranks of Drexel alumni. Capacity limitations for the ceremony will be in place at Citizens Bank Park due to other non-University events scheduled at adjacent venues within the South Philadelphia Sports Complex throughout that day. Each of our graduates will be able to invite up to six guests to join the festivities. All graduates and accompanying guests will be required to have a ticket upon entry; subsequently, each graduate will be issued seven tickets in total. More information about University-wide Commencement ceremony tickets will be released on or before June 1.

Our University-wide Commencement ceremony at Citizens Bank Park will be held in addition to our college- and school-specific ceremonies, the 2023 Graduation Celebration taking place at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the rest of this year's announced calendar of events, which can be found on the Commencement site.

Please be advised that the slate of non-University events scheduled to be held at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex that Friday will impact transportation, traffic, and the overall experience. We recommend allotting plenty of time to arrive to the ballpark before the 5 p.m. ceremony start time. The gates to Citizens Bank Park will open at 3:30 p.m.

Please also note that, due to the non-University events at the Complex that Friday, posted parking rates will apply in most lots around the ballpark throughout the day. Commencement guests will have the option to park in limited complimentary lots between 2–4 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to these limitations, guests are strongly encouraged to take advantage of free on-campus parking and utilize the variety of public transportation options available. More detailed information on parking and transportation will be added to the Commencement site by June 1.

We couldn’t be more excited to recognize all of the hard work, dedication, and ambition our graduates have displayed throughout their time as Drexel Dragons, and we’d like to thank the Phillies for working so diligently to make this opportunity possible for our University community.

We can’t wait to see you at the ballpark!

Sincerely,

Subir Sahu, PhD
Senior Vice President for Student Success