Commencement

The Class of 2024 Commencement will be held on Friday, May 24, 2024 at 10:30 a.m.

Previous ceremonies have been approximately 2.5 hours.

The Commencement ceremony will be held outdoors, rain or shine, on the Winslow Great Lawn.

Winslow Great Lawn is between the Athenaeum (#2) and Katharine and Jane Welsh Hall (#14) on the Campus Map (PDF).

The keynote speaker will be announced at a later date. Please check back in the coming weeks.

Baccalaureate

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We invite all graduates, families, friends, faculty, and staff to reflect on the meaning of the college experience and the transition of Commencement through responsive readings, prayers from many religious and ethnic traditions in different languages, music, and reflections from a graduate and a faculty or staff member.

Baccalaureate

Convocation

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The Goucher community is cordially invited to celebrate the academic and artistic achievements of its students at the annual Convocation celebration. Convocation not only recognizes students who have earned academic honors but also celebrates artistic and civic achievements. A variety of honors and awards will be bestowed.

Convocation

Affinity Graduation Ceremonies

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Affinity Graduation Ceremonies honor the accomplishments and experiences of Goucher graduates from historically marginalized and underrepresented communities. These ceremonies highlight the personal and academic successes that have shaped a student’s journey at Goucher College. While celebrating common experiences, Affinity Graduation Ceremonies also provide an opportunity for reflection, gratitude, and inspiration for aspiring seniors.

Affinity Graduation Ceremonies

Phi Beta Kappa

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The ceremony is an annual celebration to induct and celebrate the achievements of Goucher students elected to join the Beta of Maryland Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

Phi Beta Kappa

Graduates will receive a separate email from MarchingOrder with instructions on how to claim your GradPass, guests tickets, and to use the pronunciation tool. If you have not received this information, email Commencement@Goucher.edu. Please note each graduate must claim their GradPass to enter the campus. In addition to the GradPass, each graduate is allotted a total of 5 tickets for guests. No additional tickets will be issued.

• Graduates must have their GradPass and their guests MUST HAVE TICKETS, whether paper or electronic and be prepared to display them at the gatehouse to be allowed onto campus.
• Campus Safety will check all tickets. ANYONE WITHOUT A TICKET WILL BE TURNED AWAY. (Infants and toddlers do not require a ticket.)
• Tickets are non-transferable.

There will be both indoor and outdoor seating options - first come, first served.

Seats may not be saved without one person onsite at all times.

Goucher College looks forward to celebrating Commencement with students, friends and families of students and staff and strives to make the ceremony accessible for all attendees.

The Commencement ceremony will feature the following:

• Reserved parking and shuttle for guests with disabilities. If your vehicle does not have a license plate with a disabled icon, please travel with a disabled parking placard. The license plate and placard will make it easier for parking staff to direct your vehicle to reserved parking.

• An American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter

• Closed captioning on YouTube livestream and on video screens next to the stage and in the Hyman Forum of the Athenaeum

• ADA bathrooms within the Athenaeum’s Hyman Forum, which is adjacent to the Winslow Great Lawn

• The ceremony will be held outdoors under a tent. There is limited temperature controlled seating within the Athenaeum’s Hyman Forum for those that are sensitive to heat or have challenges navigating uneven surfaces.

If an attendee needs accommodations that are not outlined above, we encourage you to contact the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) prior to your arrival at Goucher at access@goucher.edu. To ensure the College is able to meet the needs of attendees with disabilities in a timely manner, please contact OAS by Friday, May 10, 2024.

• To purchase regalia, announcements, diploma frames and more, go to herff.ly/goucher
• For Early Bird pricing, order by April 27th. Orders placed after this date may incur additional fees.
• The final date to place an order is May 8th.
• Only students participating in Academic Honor Societies or Affinity Graduation Ceremonies will receive cords or stoles, and as a result, they cannot be procured along with your regalia.
• Any questions or concerns can be directed to College Store Customer Service at customer.service@goucher.edu.

A photographer hired by the College will be on stage during the ceremony to take pictures as graduates receive their diploma cover. There will be ample time after the ceremony for guests to photograph graduates. Please do not take photographs of the diploma presentations so as not to impede the view of other guests.

Family and friends who are not able to attend the ceremony in person will be able to watch a livestream of Commencement on Goucher's YouTube channel.  The link to watch the 2024 Commencement will be added at a later date and sent to all graduates by email.

For those attending from out of town, see a list of nearby hotels. A Goucher discount may be available, so please ask, but pricing is at the discretion of the hotel.

On-campus housing will not be available for those students not already residing on campus.