Information for Family and Guests
Baccalaureate Ceremony
The Baccalaureate Ceremony, traditionally the opening ceremony of Commencement Weekend, will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, in front of Old West on the John Dickinson Campus.
Those who have difficulty walking or who use a wheelchair may be dropped off at the circular drive behind Old West on West Louther Street.
If the Baccalaureate Ceremony is moved to the Kline Athletics Center because of inclement weather, the drop-off site will be the circular drive on West High Street.
Commencement Ceremony
Commencement will begin at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 18, in front of Old West on the John Dickinson Campus.
Several thousand chairs will be available for the Commencement ceremony. Reserved seating will be roped off for the graduates, faculty and those who require accessible seating. All remaining seating is open and may be held beginning at 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning after college personnel have designated the reserved seating sections.
Those who have difficulty walking or who use a wheelchair may be dropped off at the circular drive behind Old West on West Louther Street.
A limited number of special-seating tickets for those who have difficulty walking or who need wheelchair access may be obtained by contacting Dottie Warner in the Office of Conferences & Special Events at 717-245-1900 after May 1. We regret that, because of limited space, we can only accommodate one companion with the individual needing special seating.
A live broadcast of Commencement will be shown on large projection screens in various campus buildings. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and all sites are handicapped accessible. A list of locations will be available during the weekend.
Speaker
The Commencement speaker will be philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah. Professor Appiah studies political and moral theory, the philosophy of language and the mind and African intellectual history. He was born in London, raised in Kumasi, Ghana, and earned a Ph.D. in philosophy at Clare College, Cambridge, in England. He has taught philosophy, African studies and African-American studies at the University of Ghana, the University of Cambridge and Duke, Cornell, Yale, Harvard and Princeton universities. He currently is Rockefeller University Professor of Philosophy at Princeton, with a cross-appointment at the University Center for Human Values. Appiah served on the board of PEN American Center and was on a panel of judges for the PEN/Newman’s Own Award. Professor Appiah has published widely on African and African-American literary and cultural studies. His more recent books tackle the philosophical problems of race, racism, identity and moral theory.
Photography
During the Commencement ceremony, professional photographers hired by the college will take photographs of graduates as they receive their diplomas, and a professional firm will record the ceremony. You will be mailed information about purchasing photos and the DVD later this spring.
Some family members may want to take additional pictures as their students’ diplomas are presented. We will have a raised platform near the stage designated as a photo area. You will be able to see the graduates come down the stone steps in alphabetical order, and college personnel will be stationed adjacent to the photo area to help you move onto the platform shortly before your graduate receives his or her diploma. Your cooperation in moving quickly will allow other families to have the same opportunity.
Lunch
Following Commencement, there will be a college-sponsored brunch in the Holland Union Building (HUB). All graduates and their families are welcome to attend. Each student may pick up five free tickets for this event in the Office of Conferences & Special Events. Additional tickets also may be purchased in that office or at Dining Services.
Severe Weather
A severe-weather plan will be used only in the case of thunder, lightning, high winds, hail or other conditions that make it unsafe to hold Commencement outside. Rain alone does not constitute severe weather. If the severe-weather plan is used, an announcement will be made no later than 7 a.m. on Sunday on the college’s home page. If in doubt, you may call 717-245-1900 for information. If severe weather occurs, the schedule will be altered to accommodate the change. The brunch in the dining hall will be changed to 10:30 a.m. and the ceremony will be delayed until 1 p.m. and held in the Kline Athletics Center.
Accommodations
Visit our Area Accommodations page for listings of hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts.
Restaurants
If making reservations for Sunday afternoon, please note that the Commencement ceremony lasts approximately three hours. Reservations are recommended. For a list of Restaurants, click here.
Other Information
No animals other than guide dogs will be permitted at any events throughout the weekend.
Flowers will be available for purchase from a local flower shop on Saturday and Sunday at the college bookstore in the lower level of the HUB.
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