Schedule of Events

Saturday, June 4, 2022

9:00 AM–9:00 PM
Registration Open
Lobby, Exley Science Center, 265 Church Street (Show in Map)

9:00 AM–11:30 AM
Continental Breakfast
Lobby, Exley Science Center, 265 Church Street (Show in Map)

10:00 AM-2:00 PM 
Class of 2020 - 16mm and Digital Senior Thesis Films
16mm films will run first (about 70 minutes), followed by a 20-minute intermission. Digital films will run next (about 2 hours) for a total run time of approximately 4 hours. The schedule of films is posted on the Center for Film Studies exterior doors.
Goldsmith Family Cinema, Jeanine Basinger Center for Film Studies (Show in Map)

10:30 AM-11:30 AM
WESEMINAR:  What will drive our future climate?  What we know (and How?) and what we don't (and Why not?)
Presenter: Gary Yohe, Wesleyan Huffington Foundation Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, Emeritus. As a senior member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and convening lead author of multiple chapters and Synthesis Reports from 1997 through 2016, he shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize; and he served as vice-chair of the Third U.S. National Climate Assessment for President Obama.
Memorial Chapel (Show in Map)

11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
Class and Family Picnic
Grab your lunch in the Marketplace and find a seat in one of the dining rooms, out on the terrace, or under the Andrus Field tent. Free for Class of 2020 alumni, ticketed event for friends and family members.
Usdan University Center - Marketplace, 2nd FL - Enter from inside (Show in Map)

2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
WESEMINAR:  Wesleyan Art Gallery and PAC: A New Network of Interdisciplinary Spaces at the Heart of Campus (followed by a perimeter tour of the new space)
In 2021 Wesleyan began construction on a reimagined southeast corner of Andrus Field. At the core of this work is an extension and gut renovation of the Public Affairs Center (PAC), and a new Davison Art Center gallery building. This latter project is part of a broader effort to expand the arts at Wesleyan beyond the CFA, and to make them part of an inclusive, accessible, and interdisciplinary network of buildings at the core of campus. This seminar is an opportunity to hear about these projects from Wesleyan’s Assistant Vice President of Construction and Infrastructure Alan Rubacha.
Memorial Chapel (Show in Map)

2:00 PM
Pride March
The 4th Annual Middletown PrideFEST will take place on June 4, 2022. Come for Connecticut’s largest Pride March, featuring over 50 marching groups, where all will march together to demand social and economic justice and equality, and to celebrate our local LGBTQIA2S+ community in solidarity. The Pride March will start in the North End at the intersection of Main Street and St. John’s Square. 

4:00 PM–5:30 PM
Champagne Reception for Class of 2020 Graduates and Their Families
Join professors, families, and friends, as well as other members of the Wesleyan community, for champagne and light hors d’ oeuvres at this casual reception.
Tent, Andrus Field (Show in Map)

Dinner on Your Own
Enjoy dinner with your classmates and/or family members at one of Middletown’s many restaurants. Saturday is Middletown PRIDE, so make your reservations early!

9:00 PM–12:00 AM 
Tent Party
After dinner, head to the big tent where Power Station will have you dancing to your favorite tunes 'til midnight.  Cash Bar.  NO outside alcohol permitted.
Tent, Andrus Field (Show in Map)

Note: Freeman Athletic Center open 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
161 Cross Street (Show in Map)

Sunday, June 5, 2022

8:00 AM–2:00 PM
Registration Open
Usdan University, Room 108 & 110 (Show in Map)

8:00 AM–1:00 PM
Brunch Buffet - Free for BA Alumni / Ticketed event for their Guests
Wrap up a great weekend with a hearty brunch in Usdan University Center.
Usdan University Center (Show in Map)

9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Catholic Baccalaureate Mass
Memorial Chapel (Show in Map)

10:00 AM–11:00 AM
Faculty and all Graduates Assemble for Commencement
***You must be present at the 10:00 am to receive your procession cards and participate***
Top of Foss Hill (Show in Map)

10:15 AM–11:00 AM
Parent and Grandparent Educators Assemble for Commencement
Parents and Grandparents of graduating seniors who work in the field of education are invited to march as a division in the Commencement Ceremony. 
Top of Foss Hill (Show in Map)

11:00 AM–1:00 PM - Procession begins at 10:45 AM
Class of 2020 Commencement Ceremony
The ceremony will take place in the center of campus, rain or shine, and will last approximately 1½ hours.

11:00 AM–1:00 PM
Commencement Ceremony Simulcast
The ceremony will be broadasted live for those who wish to watch it from indoors. It may also be viewed online by visiting the Class of 2020 Celebration and Commencement website.
Memorial Chapel (Show in Map)

2:00 PM
Residence Hall Check-out Deadline
Return your keys and your proxy card by 2:00 PM. Please note that card access to the dorms will be disabled at 2:00 PM so we appreciate your paying attention to this timeline.

Registration is required. 

It is our intention and hope to celebrate the Class of 2020 in-person with family and friends. Per current Covid campus visitor guidelines, all guests who attend any portion of the weekend will need to attest to being fully vaccinated. Please visit Keep Wes Safe for more details. Naturally, we will continue to assess pandemic conditions and whether any limitations on the number of guests will be necessary. 

Inclement Weather Plan

The Commencement Ceremony is held outdoors, rain or shine. Under certain weather conditions, the ceremony may be shifted from the open field, where seating is unlimited, into the large tent on Andrus Field. Although the tent accommodates numerous spectators, seating is limited. In this scenario, we respectfully request that each graduate limit his/her guests to 3 seats under the tent. Please come prepared with raincoats, umbrellas, and appropriate footwear.

Information will be posted on the Class of 2020 Celebration website, and Class of 2020 graduates will be notified via email. Details will also be available at Registration (Exley Science Center). The ceremony will be simulcast in the Memorial Chapel, rain or shine. The ceremony may also be viewed online.  

Questions? Please contact grad2020@wesleyan.edu.