Two Guests Per Graduate Will Be Permitted at Commencement

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The president and the provost announced the news in a May 5 community email.

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Spring flowers
Photo by Eli Burakian ’00
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All graduating students will be allowed to invite guests—two per student—to one commencement event this year, President Philip J. Hanlon ’77 and Provost Joseph Helble announced in an email today to students, faculty, staff, and the families of undergraduates who are expected to graduate.

“This is now possible because of the success of vaccination efforts nationwide, our recent ability to offer vaccines to the Dartmouth community, reductions in COVID-19 case counts regionally and nationally, and more flexible state and local guidance,” the two wrote.

Undergraduates, including those receiving bachelor of engineering degrees, will be permitted to invite two guests to the June 13 commencement ceremony to be held on the field in Memorial Stadium.

Graduate and professional school students will be allowed to invite two guests to their individual school investiture/class day celebrations, which are to be held before the June 13 ceremony. The graduate and professional school students can participate in the June 13 ceremony, but may not bring guests to that event.

Children aged 5 and younger are welcome to sit with an accompanying adult and do not require tickets.

The June 13 ceremony will be streamed live for those unable to attend in person.

The Geisel School of Medicine is scheduled to hold its class day on May 26. The Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies has a virtual ceremony set for June 11 and is scheduling a June 12 ticketed event for students and their guests. Also on June 11, the Tuck School of Business will hold its investiture ceremony. Thayer School of Engineering’s investiture is set for June 12. Deans of these schools will be in touch with their students to provide further detail about their events.

Guests will not be permitted at other commencement-related events on June 13, nor on the days leading up to the June 13 ceremony, due to ongoing capacity constraints necessitated by the pandemic.

Students will be able to reserve non-transferable guest tickets beginning on May 24. Information on the ticketing process will be available soon, Hanlon and Helble said.

It is recommended that attendees at the ceremonies—students and guests—be fully vaccinated. Those who are not fully vaccinated are required to follow quarantine guidelines outlined in Dartmouth’s existing travel policy. Further information on health and safety guidelines for those attending the ceremonies can be found on the commencement website. On-campus accommodations will not be available for students or guests.

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