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Commencement

We are excited that you will be joining us for Commencement this May!

livestream commencement on facebook

All eligible graduates of 2020 and 2021 who have indicated they plan to attend Commencement were sent an email from the Commencement Committee (commencement@rosemont.edu) with the details for their ceremony on April 1. 

While this May’s Commencement won’t be typical, we do want it to be special for you and your family. We are doing everything in our power to ensure that your Commencement Ceremony is safe, meaningful, and memorable!  We thank you, in advance, for your cooperation in adhering to COVID protocols when on campus and for your consideration of others in following the schedule that we’ve set for the Commencement Ceremonies.   

The following applies to all Commencement Ceremonies on Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16.

All Ceremonies will be held under a Tent on Connelly Green.

You may bring two (2) guests to the Ceremony. There will be NO exceptions to this policy.

The Ceremony will be livestreamed for other family members & friends.

Masks must be worn at all times and social distancing must be observed.

All Ceremonies include 2020 and 2021 Degree Recipients.

All graduate attendees must have previously completed the Application to Graduate and indicated that they plan to attend in person.

For the Schedule of Ceremonies, please scroll down to the accordion below and click on your Degree Program/School.

Arrival to Campus, Check-In, and Parking 

Due to the unique circumstances of managing this year’s multiple Commencement Ceremonies, you and your guests may only be on campus between designated hours indicated in your April 1^st email (and listed by ceremony below on this page).  If you are driving to campus, please plan to arrive in one vehicle.  

Upon arrival to campus, you and your two guests will undergo a Wellness Check at the Wendover Road entrance to campus.  You will then be directed by Public Safety to a specific parking lot. 

Graduates should proceed to the Community Center for check-in and to line-up for the Ceremony.   Guests should proceed to the Commencement Tent to check-in and to be seated.  No more than two (2) guests per graduate will be permitted to be seated under the tent.  

Complimentary Photos of Each Graduate Provided 

During the Ceremony, your name, as well as your academic and graduation honors, will be read aloud by the Dean as you receive a ceremonial diploma from President Boyers.  Due to COVID-19, you'll exchange an elbow bump with President Boyers, instead of a handshake. A photographer will take a photo as you receive your diploma.  A second photo will be taken after you exit the stage (you may momentarily remove your mask for the second photo).  These digital photos will be available to you to download free of charge until June 30^th. The link to download the photos will be provided the day of Commencement. 

Academic Attire 

Your cap, gown, and hood will be mailed to your home address on/around May 1.  Your cap will include a 2020 or 2021 tassel, depending on the year of your graduation. The cost of your academic attire was included in your Commencement fee; there is no additional charge for it. Please be sure to remove your attire from the packaging and/or steam or iron it in advance of the ceremony.  Please do not forget to bring your attire with you to campus on May 15/May 16. 

Alumni Relatives 

If you indicated via your Commencement reply form that you have an alumni relative, they will be invited by the Office of Alumni Relations to assist with the conferral of your degree.  If they elect to do so, the Office of Alumni Relations will provide them with academic attire to pick up the day of the Ceremony.  Alumni will be seated on the Commencement Platform and will stand next to President Boyers as your name is read by Dean Hutchinson.  President Boyers will hand your relative the ceremonial diploma to then hand to you.   Your alumni relative is NOT considered one of your two (2) guests for the ceremony. 

Academic Awards & Diplomas 

Unless your diploma has already been mailed to you, please pick up your diploma, as well as any certificates, plaques, or other commemorations of academic or graduation awards announced at the ceremony should be picked up immediately following the ceremony in the Community Center.  

Commencement Program 

Each graduate and their two (2) guests will receive a Commencement Program.  This year’s Program will list both the 2020 and the 2021 Degree Recipients. 

Student Speakers 

Each ceremony will include two Student Speakers – one representing the 2020 Degree Recipients and one representing the 2021 Degree Recipients.  

All graduates, who meet the criteria detailed below, are encouraged to make an application to be considered as a Student Commencement Speaker at the ceremony. 

Speech submissions are due April 16 via this form.   

Student speakers will be selected by a Committee composed of the President, the Provost, the Chief of Staff/Vice President for Diversity & Belonging, the Vice President for Mission, the Academic Dean of the Undergraduate College, the Academic Dean of the Schools of Graduate and Professional Studies, and the Chair of the Commencement Committee. 

Eligible candidates must meet the following criteria: 

• At least a 3.5 cumulative GPA 
• All graduation requirements completed by May 2020 or May 2021 (depending on which they are representing) 

• Good standing with the College (neither academic nor non-academic probation) 
• No "I" grade on transcript 

Eligible candidates are required to submit a typed, 3-minute speech that focuses on the following theme, drawn from our mission statement: 

Rosemont College values: Trust in and reverence for the dignity of each person; Diversity with a commitment to building an intercultural community; Persistence and courage in promoting justice with compassion; Care for the Earth as our common home.  

Along with her or his speech, each candidate is also required to submit a written faculty or facilitator recommendation.  All materials are due via this link no later than April 16; no late submissions will be considered. 

The Committee will rate all speeches anonymously. Criteria will be as follows: adherence to theme, originality, content, organization, and style.  If several speeches receive high rankings, the final selection will be made on the basis of grade point average and service to the College. In early May, the Committee will notify the students who are selected to serve as Student Commencement Speakers. 

College’s Commencement Speaker & Honorary Degree Recipients 

This year, the College is pleased to bestow an honorary degree on Sr. Veronica Openibo, SHCJ, the Leader of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.  Sr. Openibo will deliver the Commencement Address.  Honorary degrees will also be given to Sharon W. Clark ’74 and Ben McGinty ’00. 

Baccalaureate Mass 

The College’s Baccalaureate Mass will be held at 4:30 PM on Saturday, May 15 under the Tent on Connelly Green.  All are welcome to attend, but registration is required.  Please visit LINK to register.  If you plan to attend Baccalaureate, please plan to return to campus no earlier than 4:00 PM. 

If you have questions about Commencement, please email commencement@rosemont.edu.