On May 8, the university announced that the spring University Commencement ceremony will be held in Lot J, the parking lot south of the Activity Center.
This year’s change of location was intended “to provide a larger, flatter space with fewer obstructions to sight lines,” Stephen Fontenot, communications manager at UTD, said in the announcement.
University Commencement, the ceremony honoring all UTD graduates, has been held at the Loop Road roundabout near the Activity Center and JSOM since its creation in 2022. Prior to this, each school held its own separate ceremony.
“Students wanted to graduate together,” Rena Piper, then director of university events, said in the 2022 announcement. “They wanted to bring more people. This is a way to do just that.”
Commencement ceremonies in spring 2023, 2024 and 2025 continued the new university-wide tradition of celebrating students in the University Roundabout.
Since 2022, UTD held University Commencement in the University Roundabout. The central stage has historically been placed at the center of the roundabout hill. This image is from the spring 2022 University Commencement Ceremony. UTD | Courtesy 
Since 2022, UTD held University Commencement in the University Roundabout. The central stage has historically been placed at the center of the roundabout hill. This image is from the spring 2023 University Commencement Ceremony. UTD | Courtesy 
Since 2022, UTD held University Commencement in the University Roundabout. The central stage has historically been placed at the center of the roundabout hill. This image is from the spring 2023 University Commencement Ceremony. UTD | Courtesy 
Since 2022, UTD held University Commencement in the University Roundabout. The central stage has historically been placed at the center of the roundabout hill. This image is from the spring 2024 University Commencement Ceremony. UTD | Courtesy 
Since 2022, UTD held University Commencement in the University Roundabout. The central stage has historically been placed at the center of the roundabout hill. This image is from the spring 2025 University Commencement Ceremony. UTD | Courtesy
As of publication, the University Events department has not responded to request to comment.
For decades, individual schools have held graduation ceremonies all around campus, including placement in the University Theater, the Plinth and the now demolished Clark Center. Off campus venues have included the Plano Event Center, Pearce High School auditorium and Richardson High School auditorium. This is the first recorded time UTD has held a graduation ceremony in a parking lot.
On May 13, The Retrograde polled UTD students on their opinion regarding the use of Lot J for the University Commencement, asking respondents if they “agree with this decision.” Of 226 respondents an overwhelming 88% — amounting to 200 total votes — answered “no.”
Some, like graduating computer science senior Felix Jimenez, said they were “dumbfounded that the most expensive public school in Texas can’t give their students a respectable ceremony location.” Pre-dentistry junior Fahad Bashir said it felt like a “cheap shot, especially after hiking on-campus housing and tuition costs.” ATEC junior Maya Elisa said she wasn’t looking forward to her own ceremony if it was like this since the parking lot was “lame.”
