For Parents and Family

Commencement Reunion Weekend is right around the corner, and by now you should have received an invitation from President Marshall and the Wheaton College Board of Trustees inviting you to campus on May 17-19, 2002. These details will answer many of your questions regarding Commencement. You may direct other questions to the Dean of Students Office at 508-286-8218.

Commencement ceremony ... seating is open and no tickets are required

Commencement is a memorable event for everyone -- families, students and returning alumnae/i. This year, Pulitzer prize-winning biographer David McCullough will deliver the commencement address.

You may bring as many family members and guests as you like to commencement -- no tickets are required and the ceremony is held outdoors in the Dimple with unlimited seating. Commencement officially begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, May 18. But please arrive early to identify your preferred seating with good sight lines and photo opportunities of your graduate.

Commencement ceremony ... outdoors, so plan accordingly

Hardy New Englanders are committed to remaining outside for the ceremony, so please bring appropriate layers of clothing, particularly for those in your family who are elderly or very young. In the event of extreme weather conditions, we will relocate to the Beard field house in the Haas Athletic Center, which also has unlimited seating and requires no tickets for admission.

At noon, immediately following the commencement ceremony, an all-college luncheon in Chapel Field is planned. Some families choose to participate in this luncheon (for which your graduate will need to purchase tickets in advance), while others bring a picnic lunch and gather informally with families and friends.

Weekend activities for parents and family

Events for families begin on Friday evening, May 17, with a President's Reception honoring members of the graduating class and their guests. Dinner is available on Friday evening as well, and your graduate will be notified to purchase tickets for all guests in advance. Friday night events feature a concert by student a cappella groups, a Senior Sentimental Night in the Chapel, a candle-floating ceremony on Peacock Pond and a step-singing on the Wallace Library steps.

Parking and other details

Campus parking is always tight on this big weekend, so overflow parking will be available at the Norton school parking lots when space on the campus is filled. Campus parking will be on a first-come, first served basis. Traffic will be heavy; please arrive on campus as early as possible on Saturday morning. The overflow parking lots, a quick 10-minute walk from campus, are located on Route 123, west of Wheaton, and are reserved for your use on May 18. Signs will be posted, and Norton Police and Wheaton Public Safety Officers will be on hand to direct you. Shuttle buses will run regularly from 8:30 a.m. through 3 p.m. to and from these overflow lots. These shuttle buses will drop off passengers at the Nursery School/Clark Center parking lot, which is across the street from the commencement ceremony in the Dimple. Shuttle buses will pick up passengers from the same location.

Those wishing to drop off elderly persons or small children should do so by entering Howard Street from Route 123. A Public Safety Officer will direct you to a location where you may drop off those who cannot walk from the regular parking lots. You will, however, need to park your car following this drop off as handicap parking is at a premium and taken on a first-come, first-served basis, so allow plenty of time.

Special needs

For those in need of special accommodations, please call the Dean of Students Office at Wheaton (508-286-8218) as early as possible.

And finally...

The most challenging part of leave-taking may be move-out. Students must vacate their residence halls and houses by late Saturday afternoon. Seniors who live in the New England area generally cope with this final departure by starting to move things home in the final weeks of the semester. Of course, we don't expect those living at a greater distance to do this, but we do encourage students to pack during Senior Week, the week prior to Commencement, so they are ready to move by Saturday. If you hope to avoid the last-minute hassle of packing at the end of this joyous weekend, please remind your graduate that you don't want to begin the packing process after graduation!

Hospitality and questions

On the Saturday morning of Commencement, a Hospitality Center will be located in the Balfour-Hood Center Café which opens early and serves hot coffee and cold beverages to those gathering there prior to the ceremony.

Graduates will receive information regarding the purchase of tickets for Friday dinner on campus and the Saturday luncheon. Should you wish additional information about this, please call the Sodexo Marriott Food Service Office at 508-286-8209. Further information about the weekend in general may be obtained by telephoning the Dean of Students Office at 508-286-8218 or the Alumnae/i Relations & Annual Giving Office at 508-286-8207.

We look forward to seeing you

Congratulations on arriving at this important milestone. We all look forward to greeting you and your family when you arrive on campus in May.

This page is maintained by Commencement. Last updated on 8/21/07.
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