Commencement
Congratulations graduates! Commencement is a chance to pause, breathe in deep and recognize your accomplishments as you step into the next chapter of your life.
We look forward to honoring you and your classmates while your family and friends look on with pride on Saturday, May 17 at 2:30 p.m.
Schedule of events
Friday, May 16
10:30 a.m. – noon Commencement Rehearsal (Druley Performance Gym, Wellness Center)
Noon – 2 p.m. Senior Celebration Picnic (Comstock Field)
4:00 p.m. Phi Beta Kappa Ceremony (Stout Meetinghouse)
Saturday, May 17
8:30 – 10 a.m. Breakfast Buffet (Dining Hall, Earlham Hall)
10:30 a.m. Baccalaureate (Druley Performance Gym, Wellness Center)
Noon – 1:30 p.m. Lunch Reception (Dining Hall, Earlham Hall)
2:30 p.m. Commencement (Druley Performance Gym, Wellness Center)
Commencement programs
Your cap and gown must be ordered through our vendor Herff Jones. There is no fee, but you must place your order before March 28 so that it can be received in time for graduation. Students without a cap and gown will not be allowed to process in the Commencement ceremony. All caps and gowns will be shipped to the Earlham bookstore, and you will be notified when they are available for pick-up. Check the bookstore’s display to see what it will look like!
Frequently Asked Questions
Graduation is the process of verifying that the student has completed all of their degree requirements. It is completed in the Registrar’s Office after final grades have been reported for the semester and processed.
Commencement is the college-wide ceremony celebrating the accomplishments of all the current graduating class. Participating in Commencement does not automatically mean that a student has graduated. In order to graduate, a student must complete all requirements of their degree program.
This ceremony is one of our most meaningful events. At the baccalaureate ceremony, Earlham celebrates the importance of the whole journey that students and faculty have undertaken together. It is an occasion to reflect on the joys and struggles of the past four years and to celebrate the growth of students and of their mentors. All graduating students and their guests are welcome to attend and tickets are not required.
Yes. Each graduate will receive up to 8 Commencement guest tickets, which will be available for pick-up at the Registrar’s Office beginning Monday, May 12. Additional tickets may be requested though the Registrar’s Office at 765-983-1515 or [email protected].
Yes, both the Baccalaureate and the Commencement ceremonies will be livestreamed.
Guests will receive a QR code when they enter the Performance Gym, which will also be displayed throughout the gym. The QR code links to the Commencement webpage, where a pdf version of the Commencement program can be viewed. Each graduate will receive a print copy of the program, and a limited number of additional print copies will be available for guests.
Our photography partner, Grad Images, will be onsite photographing the ceremony. Each student will be photographed as they cross the stage and will also have a graduate portrait taken after crossing the stage. Each graduate will receive one complimentary 5 x 7 photograph that will be mailed with the diploma. The official site to order additional prints is www.gradimages.com
Yes, they are both open to the graduates and their guests. Breakfast is free for the graduates and guests will pay $5 at the door.
The lunch reception will also be held in the Dining Hall. Each graduate will receive one complimentary lunch ticket, additional tickets can be purchased online for a reduced cost of $10 by Friday, May 9 at https://earlham.myshopify.com/products/commencement-lunch-ticket.
All graduates participating in Commencement will receive an Earlham College diploma cover at the ceremony. The printed diploma will be mailed 3-4 weeks following Commencement, after the Registrar’s Office has received the final grades and verified that students have completed all the requirements for their degree.
The College reserves the right to hold any diplomas for students who may have remaining balances on their student account. Please contact the Accounting Office ([email protected]) for further information.
Degrees will be posted on your transcript 2 weeks following Commencement after the degrees have been cleared by the Registrar’s Office.
Venue information
Baccalaureate will be held in the Druley Performance Gym in the Wellness Center at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 17. Student line-up is at 10:00 a.m. in the Auxiliary Gym. Doors open for graduates and guests at 9:45 a.m. No ticket required.
Commencement will be at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, also in the Druley Performance Gym. The Class line-up begins at 2 p.m. in the Auxiliary Gym. Doors to the Wellness Center will open for graduates and guests at 1:45 p.m.
Parking on campus
Parking will be available throughout campus, please use the campus map to locate the parking lots. Disability-accessible parking will be clearly marked, follow signs once you arrived on campus.
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