Cornell University President Martha E. Pollack’s Commencement address and the Senior Convocation address by science educator Bill Nye ’77 will highlight Cornell’s 151st Graduation and Commencement Weekend, May 24-26, when approximately 5,500 students will receive their degrees.
Both events will be held at Schoellkopf Field; seating is first-come, first-served.
Senior Convocation is Saturday, May 25, at 12:30 p.m.; gates will open at 10 a.m. In addition to Nye, Senior Class President Andrew Lawrence Semmes ’19 and Convocation Chair Charlotte Lefkovitz ’19 will speak.
Senior Convocation will be livestreamed on CornellCast and will be shown on Spectrum cable Channel 16 in Ithaca area homes and hotels. In campus residence hall TV lounges, it will be on DirecTV Channels 1 and 101.
In the event of severe weather, convocation will move to Barton Hall and admission will be by electronic ticket only; under those severe weather conditions, the convocation livestream will be shown in Lynah Rink, Bailey Hall, Klarman Hall’s Rhodes-Rawlings Auditorium and Kennedy Hall’s Call Auditorium.
Commencement is Sunday, May 26, with the procession entering the stadium at 10 a.m. and the president’s address at 11. Gates will open at 8. The ceremony will be livestreamed on CornellCast beginning at 10 a.m. and broadcast on Spectrum Channel 16.
In the event of severe weather, the graduation ceremony will be held for students only in Barton Hall at 10:30 a.m. Families and guests should go to the location of their student’s college afternoon events to watch the livestream of the Barton Hall ceremony.
The livestream also will be viewable on personal devices. Check the severe weather plan for details and check cornell.edu for updates.
Graduation Weekend events include:
Friday, May 24:
- Military Commissioning: 2 p.m. in Barton Hall A reception will follow at 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 25:
- Senior Convocation: 12:30 p.m. at Schoellkopf Stadium with guest speaker Bill Nye ’77.
- Ph.D. Hooding Ceremony: 5 p.m. in Barton Hall. A reception will follow at 6:15 p.m.
- Senior Week Concert: The Cornell University Chorus and the Glee Club at 8 p.m. in Bailey Hall. Admission is $15; $10 for students; tickets are available at www.baileytickets.com or at the door.
Sunday, May 26:
- Schoellkopf Field seating starts at 8 a.m.
- The academic procession assembles on the Arts Quad at 9:15 a.m. and marches into Schoellkopf Stadium beginning at 10 a.m.
- Commencement Ceremony: President Martha E. Pollack will deliver the Commencement Address at 11 a.m.
- College and school ceremonies: various locations across campus, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Parking
Some parking lots and roads will be closed during the weekend.
Detail on the weekend’s parking and shuttles can be found here.
Safety and Security
The Cornell Police will conduct bag-check security at both Convocation and Commencement.
Cornell visitor text messages
Cornell visitors can sign up for emergency notifications, such as weather alerts, by texting “CornellVisitor” (without the quotation marks) to 226787.
