March 1, 2024
Dear Class of 2024,
It is my pleasure to invite you to attend the 235th Commencement of Williams College to celebrate the accomplishments of your student. My colleagues and I would like to extend our congratulations to you as well.
We also warmly welcome seniors completing their degree requirements after June 2024, as well as those who completed theirs in December 2024, to join in all Commencement celebrations.
It is very important that you fill out the two forms that were linked in the email you recently received from the Dean’s Office and the Registrar. This is your opportunity to indicate what name you want on your diploma (degree name), as well as what name you would like read at the ceremony/listed in the program. You are also asked to submit an audio recording of the correct pronunciation of your name. We ask that you complete these forms by March 15.
In order to help you plan ahead, here are the dates and times of the four major events:
Ivy Exercises, Saturday, June 1, 1:10 p.m.
Baccalaureate, Saturday, June 1, 5:00 p.m.
Commencement, Sunday, June 2, 10:00 a.m. (procession at 9:30 a.m.)
President’s Reception, Sunday, June 2, 12:15 p.m.
Below you’ll find Commencement at a Glance, which provides an overview of the weekend. As events develop, we will post updated information on our website: commencement.williams.edu.
If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the
Commencement Office at: 413-597-2347, or email us at:
We look forward to seeing you at Commencement!
Sincerely,
Lee Park
College Marshal and William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Chemistry Department of Chemistry
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Two Hundred and Thirty-Fifth Commencement
at Williams College, June 1-2, 2024
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Class Day: Saturday, June 1
8:30 a.m. Phi Beta Kappa Induction ’62 CTD, MainStage
10 a.m. Sigma Xi Induction ’62 CTD, MainStage
11 a.m. Senior Class Day Recital Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall
11:30 a.m. Senior Athlete Recognition ’62 CTD, MainStage
1:10 p.m. Ivy Exercises, Williams Quad
4:30–6 p.m. Art History Graduate Program Hooding Ceremony, Clark Art Institute
4:45 p.m. Baccalaureate Procession, Chapin Hall
5–6:15 p.m. Baccalaureate Service, Chapin Hall
Speaker:
Commencement Day: Sunday, June 2
9:30 a.m. Commencement Procession
10 a.m. Commencement Exercises, Williams Quad
Speaker:
Noon–1:30 p.m. President’s Reception, Chapin Lawn
GENERAL INFORMATION
Subject to change
TICKETS
Tickets are not required for Ivy Exercises, outdoor Commencement, or the President’s Reception.
Weather permitting, Commencement will be held outdoors in the Williams Quad and no tickets will be required. We do ask that you limit the number of guests in the venue to six. We have additional seating in Chapin Hall where we will simulcast the event.
Tickets for Indoor Commencement: In the event of extreme or dangerous weather, the ceremony will be held in the Lansing Chapman Ice Rink. Each senior will automatically receive four guest tickets for the ice rink in their Paresky mailbox during Senior Week if the weekend weather looks questionable. Additional seating will be available in the ’62 Center MainStage (new location) where the ceremony will be broadcast on a large screen. Tickets are not required for seating at the ’62 Center (new location). We favor an outdoor ceremony even under threatening skies and/or light rain. Chapel bells will toll at 8:30am Sunday morning to signal indoor Commencement. Graduates and guests will also be notified directly.
Baccalaureate is optional, but well-attended. The service’s principal focus is on seniors as a group. Members of the senior class do not need tickets to attend this event. Due to the limited seating capacity of Chapin Hall, we are unable to seat all guests in Chapin Hall. You will receive an email in April with a link to sign up for Baccalaureate tickets. Tickets will be placed in Paresky mailboxes during Senior Week. We invite guests without tickets to view the livestream in Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall. Tickets are not required for the livestream.
MEALS
Dining schedule is subject to change. Visit dining.williams.edu for the most up-to-date hours. Food is available for purchase in Lee Snack Bar or Whitmans’ Dining Hall, located in Paresky Center. On Sunday, continental breakfast can be purchased in Lee Snack Bar beginning at 6:30 a.m.
Lee Snack Bar: Tuesday–Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday, 6:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Whitmans’: Monday–Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. and
5 p.m.–7 p.m.
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
The most up-to-date information is available on the Athletics website.
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (Located in Sawyer Library)
“¡Unidos!: 20 años of Latinx Studies at Williams” and “‘She Carried Those with Her’: The Honda Family Photographs”
Friday, 10 a.m.–4:00 p.m. / Saturday, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
SAWYER LIBRARY
“What Are They Thinking?” Exhibit featuring recent publications by Williams College Faculty in Social Sciences and Humanities. Sawyer Library Lobby.
Friday, May 31, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m./ Saturday, June 1st, 9 a.m.-5 p.m./ Sunday, June 2, CLOSED.
SCHOW SCIENCE LIBRARY, SCIENCE CENTER
“Proven and Published: Research by Science Professors.” Exhibit featuring recent publications.
Friday, May 31, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m./ Saturday and Sunday, June 1-2 CLOSED
WILLIAMS COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
WCMA is free and open to all Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit artmuseum.williams.edu.
“Emancipation: The Unfinished Project of Liberation”
Conceived as a commemoration of the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation visualizes what freedom looks like for Black Americans today and the legacy of the Civil War in 2023 and beyond, highlighting the perspectives of contemporary Black artists. (Through July 14)
“Cracking the Cosmic Code: Numerology in Medieval Art”
The idea that numbers emanate sacred significance, and connect the past with the future, is prehistoric and global. This exhibition aims to elucidate medieval relationships among numbers, events, and artworks. WCMA’s medieval and Renaissance artworks from the 5th to 17th centuries reveal numerical patterns as they relate to architecture, literature, gender, and timekeeping. (March 22–December 22)
“Pallavi Sen: Colour Theory”
A new immersive installation of new work by Pallavi Sen, an interdisciplinary artist and assistant professor of art at Williams College. (April 19–December 22)
“SO-IL / WCMA: Building A New Museum”
The exhibition, organized by the architects of SO-IL, who have designed the new Williams College Museum of Art building, includes models and materials that will showcase what the new WCMA will look like when it opens in 2027. (May 24–December 22)
“Remixing the Hall”
Borrowing a term from DJ culture, “Remixing” describes WCMA curators’ process of selecting objects from the collection that highlight multivalent correspondences between form and meaning in art. (Through December 22)
CLARK ART INSTITUTE
Admission is $20 / free with Williams ID. Visit ClarkArt.edu for more information.
Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Email: [email protected]
Website: commencement.williams.edu
Commencement Office: 413-597-2347
Campus Safety and Security: 413-597-4444
Share Commencement with #Williams2024
Please note: We are relying on digital communication with you at this time. We will forward this email communication to your families, but we realize not all families have registered their email addresses with the college. If you could please ensure your friends and family have this information, that would be greatly appreciated.
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* Lee Park (she/hers)
* College Marshal
* William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Chemistry
* Department of Chemistry, Williams College
* Office of the College Marshal phone: (413)597-2347
* Email: [email protected]