Commencement #Yale2016: a time to share and celebrate

Yale University will celebrate its 315th Commencement with a weekend of activities May 21-23, including a Class Day address by Ambassador Samantha Power ’92 and a Joint ROTC Commissioning Ceremony with U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter ’76.
test test
Students cheer at the 2015 Commencement ceremony. (Photo by Michael Marsland)

Yale University will celebrate its 315th Commencement with a weekend of activities May 21-23.

Highlights will include Baccalaureate Addresses by President Peter Salovey and Yale College Dean Jonathan Holloway; a Class Day address by Ambassador Samantha Power ’92; and a Joint Commissioning Ceremony for the first cohort of students to complete all four years of their ROTC training at Yale. The latter will feature remarks by U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter ’76.

Sharing and streaming

Whether you’re on campus or on the other side of the globe, you can enjoy — and share — the festivities online. You can:

  • Watch the Class Day, and Commencement ceremonies on the Yale YouTube channel.
  • Follow Yale on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for images and stories about the weekend’s activities.
  • Use the hashtag #Yale2016 on Twitter and on Instagram to share your photos and impressions.
  • Follow @Yale for live tweets from Class Day and Commencement.
  • Email photos you’d like to share on the Yale Facebook page to socialmedia@yale.edu.
  • Download images of Commencement 2016 taken by Yale photographers during and after the weekend on our Flickr page.
  • Visit the YaleNews Commencement 2016 page for stories, photos, and videos about the weekend’s activities as they unfold.

Baccalaureate service

Graduating seniors, their friends, and families are invited to attend one of three Baccalaureate services being held on Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and 22. Each service will include remarks by President Peter Salovey and Yale College Dean Jonathan Holloway.

Class Day exercises

Topping their academic robes with creative headgear is a longstanding undergraduate tradition on Class Day, which is taking place on Old Campus on Sunday at 2 p.m. The featured speaker this year, Samantha Power ’92, is the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations and a member of President Obama’s cabinet (see related story). The ceremony also includes the awarding of academic, artistic, and athletic prizes; and such Class Day traditions as planting the Class Ivy, reciting the Ivy Ode, and singing Yale’s alma mater, “Bright College Years,” while waving a white handkerchief. Watch the Class Day exercises in real-time here.

University Commencement

All Yale degrees are formally conferred during the Commencement ceremony on Old Campus, which will take place on Monday, May 23 at 10:30 a.m. During the ceremony, the deans of Yale College and all the graduate and professional schools formally present their approved candidates to the president. The president, in turn, confers the degrees and admits new graduates to each degree’s “rights and responsibilities.” Student marshals from each residential college and school accept symbolic diplomas from the president on behalf of their colleagues. Smaller degree-granting ceremonies are then held at all the schools and residential colleges. Watch the Commencement ceremony in real-time here.

ROTC Joint Commissioning Ceremony

The Yale Navy and Air Force ROTC units welcomed their first students in 2012. The first group of seniors to have completed their ROTC training at Yale will be formally commissioned at a ceremony on Monday at 4:30 p.m. in Battell Chapel. U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter ’76 will join Captain Vernon P. Kemper, commanding officer of the Naval ROTC at Yale, and Lieutenant Colonel Holly E.A. Hermes, commanding officer (acting) of the Air Force ROTC, at the ceremony. Carter has served, both directly and indirectly, under 11 secretaries of defense in both Democratic and Republican administrations (see his biography). A reception will follow the commissioning ceremony; RSVP to tricia.neely@yale.edu.

Other weekend activities

Commencement weekend will also include receptions, performances, and other special events. For a complete list of activities, visit Yale’s Commencement website. There you can also find answers to frequently asked questions and other tips and information. You can also download the Yale 2016 app, which features information about what’s happening and how to get there.

Share this with Facebook Share this with X Share this with LinkedIn Share this with Email Print this

Media Contact

Office of Public Affairs & Communications: opac@yale.edu, 203-432-1345