Commencement for the Class of 2020

  1. Commencement for the Class of 2020 will be held at the Beachem Portico between Pennsylvania Hall and Musselman Library on Sunday morning, September 26th, at 11:00 A.M. Lauren W. Bright ’90, general counsel of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and director of the Foundation’s Washington, D.C., Office will speak at the Commencement ceremony.
  2. The faculty will robe and line up for Commencement in Musselman Library, leaving some space at the front of the lineup for the platform party. Faculty should not leave any items in the library. The library staff cannot guarantee the safety of abandoned items.
  3. Faculty should arrive in academic garb, no later than 10:40 A.M. Sunday morning. Latecomers will be expected to take their place at the end of the line rather than disrupt the lineup.
  4. The Seniority Processional List will be posted on the faculty landing page to assist in lining up within rank. This placement can be approximate. Several boxes of programs will be available in the library. Each faculty member should get a Commencement program and take it along to their seat.
  5. Promptly at 10:55 A.M., the Marshal will lead the platform party and faculty from the library, down the sidewalk from the library to the center aisle. The faculty will process in pairs towards the stage and, at the direction of the Marshal, will split, the right column being seated on the right side of the stage area and the left column on the left. Ushers at each of the faculty seating areas could assist with the seating questions. All faculty must be ready to process at the appropriate time. Those at the end of the line should pay particular attention to avoid running, which diminishes the dignity of this most significant of occasions for our students and their family.
  6. When all are seated, men may remove their caps after announcements and before the National Anthem.
  7. The recessional will be in the following order: the College Marshal, the platform party, the trustees, the faculty member closest to the center aisle on either side, followed by the next persons in the front row until that row has exited; then the second and subsequent rows in similar fashion. The procession has to move past the fountain, behind Master’s hall and Plank gym before breaking rank, for the class will be following right on your heels. 
  8. Refreshments will be available following Commencement Exercises on Memorial Field.

IN THE EVENT OF INCLEMENT AND / OR DANGEROUS WEATHER THE MARSHAL WILL ANNOUNCE SHELTER VENUES, AND USHERS WILL GUIDE FACULTY AND GUESTS TO INDOOR VENUES.

Michael J. Birkner
College Marshal