Commencement

Commencement for the Class of 2024

The 2024 Spring Commencement Ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. in Memorial Stadium. Doors open for families at 2:00 p.m.

Arriving at Memorial Stadium

Memorial Stadium is located at the highest point of the Whittier College campus. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and carry water if you intend to walk to the Stadium from lower campus. For reference, it is a half-mile walk from Painter and Earlham to the Stadium, with an elevation gain of 118 feet.

Please give yourself ample time to park your vehicle, walk to the Stadium, and clear security at the gate. All attendees will be screened by wand-style metal detectors prior to entering the Stadium. We ask that guests avoid bringing air horns or similar noise devices to the ceremony.

Inclement Weather

In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to the Graham Athletics Center, where seating is limited. Each graduate will receive four entrance tickets. These tickets are to be used only in case of inclement weather and are not needed for the ceremony in the Stadium. You may reserve tickets on the Ceremony’s Eventbrite page. The password to access your tickets is Commencement 2024. You will be required to use your @poets.whittier.edu email and enter your Student ID when prompted. Your tickets will be delivered to your email. It is recommended that you print these tickets and distribute them to your guests, but your guests will also be able to present them electronically.

Student Information

Graduates must check in for the ceremony on the baseball field. Check in opens at 2:00 p.m. and graduates should arrive no later than 3:00 p.m.

Students who have earned Latin Honors may pick up their cords at the check-in table. As a reminder, please do not forget to have your clearance form and regalia. Graduates will not be able to walk in the ceremony without presenting both items. You may present your clearance form on your phone or in paper form. If you present the paper form, it must be signed by the registrar or assistant registrar prior to check in.
 
Faculty and staff should be on the field no later than 3:00 p.m. The academic procession of graduating students, faculty, college officers, and members of the Board of Trustees will begin promptly at 3:55 p.m. As the ceremony will be outside, you may want to bring a pillow or cushion to use on the stadium seats. Spring evenings can be chilly and we suggest bringing a sweater or light coat. Guests are not allowed onto the field or in the aisles during the ceremony to take photos of graduates. The College will have professional photographers taking pictures of each graduate. More information is available on the Grad Images website.