2023 Commencement Schedule
Friday, May 26, 2023
- 2 to 9 p.m.
- Welcome Center and Housing Check-in for seniors and families. Alumni House (see parking map).
- 5 p.m.
- Commencement Rehearsal. Mandatory for seniors; families need not attend. Main Quadrangle (Johnson Chapel in case of rain).
Saturday, May 27, 2023
- 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Welcome Center and Housing Check-in for seniors and families. Alumni House (see parking map).
- 9 a.m.
- Phi Beta Kappa Meeting. Induction ceremony for new members of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest honor society of arts and sciences. Students elected to membership in this honor society are those of the highest standing. Remarks delivered by Catherine A. Sanderson, Poler Family Proffessor of Psychology. Family and friends are welcome. Stirn Auditorium
- 10 a.m.
- Baccalaureate Celebration. Seniors play a significant role in this interfaith gathering that includes music, readings, dance and an address by a Maytal Saltiel, Associate Chaplain at Yale University. Johnson Chapel
- 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Conversations with Honored Guests
- “How Did We Get Here and Where Are We Going: What Is Your Story?” talk by Freeman A. Hrabowski III, president emeritus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), which he led from 1992 to 2022. Cole Assembly Room, Converse Hall
“Man in the Anthropocene” talk by Elizabeth Kolbert, staff writer at The New Yorker. - Kirkpatrick Lecture Hall, Science Center
“Where Are We Going? Who is Traveling With Us?” talk by Tracy K. Smith, the Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor at Harvard Radcliffe Institute and a professor of English and of African and African American Studies in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Science. Stirn Auditorium, Mead Art Museum
- 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
- Luncheon for seniors, families, faculty and staff. If there is inclement weather, additional seating will be available in Valentine Dining Hall. Valentine Quadrangle
- 1:00 p.m.
- Conversations with Honored Guest
“No Peace Without Justice” talk by Oleksandra Matviichuk, Ukrainian human rights lawyer and head of Ukraine’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning Center for Civil Liberties. Johnson Chapel
- 1:00 p.m.
- Sigma Xi Meeting. Induction ceremony for new members of The Scientific Research Society. Lewis-Sebring Dining Commons, Valentine Dining Hall
- 1:30 to 6:30 p.m.
- Departmental Events. Schedule and locations for departmental commencement ceremonies.
- 2:15 to 3:15 p.m.
- Conversations with Honored Guest
- “No False Hope” talk by Stephen Hoge ’98, the president and head of research and development for Moderna. Johnson Chapel
- 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
- Conversations with Honored Guests
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- “His Page Was Clay: How an Enslaved Potter and Poet Became a Museum Superstar” talk by P. Gabrielle Foreman ’86, professor of English, African American Studies and History and Paterno Family Chair of Liberal Arts at Penn State University. Pruyne Lecture Hall, Fayerweather Hall
- “His Page Was Clay: How an Enslaved Potter and Poet Became a Museum Superstar” talk by P. Gabrielle Foreman ’86, professor of English, African American Studies and History and Paterno Family Chair of Liberal Arts at Penn State University. Pruyne Lecture Hall, Fayerweather Hall
- “Net Positive and Why the World Needs Courageous Leadership” talk by Paul Polman, business leader, campaigner and co-author of Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take. Kirkpatrick Lecture Hall, Science Center
- 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
- President’s Reception
- President Michael A. Elliott ’92 hosts a gathering for seniors, families, faculty and staff. President’s House
- 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
- Meiklejohn Fellows
- Graduating Meiklejohn Fellows and their families are invited to participate in a ceremony honoring and celebrating them. Friedmann Room, Keefe Campus Center
- 8:00 p.m.
- Choral Society Concert. The Choral Society includes the Glee Club and the Concert Choir, directed by Arianne Abela. The performance will feature music from all over the world as well as traditional Amherst songs. The Choral Society performs their annual Commencement Concert to honor our graduating class. This concert is free. General seating. Doors open 30-minutes before the concert.
- Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center
Sunday, May 28, 2023
- 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Welcome Center Open. Alumni House (see parking map).
- 10 a.m.
- The 202nd Commencement. Addresses by President Michael A. Elliott ’92 and Quentin Jeyaretnam ’23.
- Presentation of Honorary Degrees and the Phebe and Zephaniah Swift Moore Teaching Awards. Main Quadrangle (livestreamed at Amherst.edu/go/webcast)
- 12:30 to 2 p.m.
- Luncheon for seniors, families, faculty and staff. In the event of inclement weather, additional seating will be available in Valentine Dining Hall. Valentine Quadrangle
Note: Barring severe weather, Commencement is held outdoors on the Main Quadrangle, a shaded green space in the center of campus with ample seating. Tickets are required only if Commencement is moved indoors. Due to occupancy limitations, each graduating student is limited to two ticketed guests, should the ceremony be moved indoors. Ticketed guests will be seated in the indoor venue, and remaining family and friends will have the opportunity to watch a livestream of the event from multiple locations on campus. Indoor tickets are distributed to graduates during Commencement weekend. To learn the location of Sunday’s Commencement ceremony, call (413) 542-INFO (4636) or go to Amherst.edu/commencement after 8 a.m. on Sunday.