Frequently Asked Questions About Commencement Weekend

At this time, Kenyon does not limit the number of attendees at any of our five academic year ceremonies, which include both Baccalaureate and Commencement during the May celebratory weekend.

If a situation arises that jeopardizes the health and safety of our entire community, like the COVID-19 pandemic, the College may have to change this policy. Seniors and families will be notified immediately if that decision is made.

Registration opens at 10 a.m. EST on the first Monday of March and closes at 11:59 p.m. on April 30.

Kenyon does not limit the number of people allowed to attend Commencement Weekend ceremonies, so advance registration is for those who are interested in on-campus dorm room accommodations, on-campus meals and/or rental wheelchairs.

On-campus housing

Guests can register to stay in dorm style accommodations on campus. Double and single occupancy rooms are available in first and second year housing. These are shared restroom facilities and do not include any apartment style housing. Linens are provided for every bed.

On-campus meals

Thursday dinner through Saturday breakfast are pay-as-you-go in the dining hall. Families are encouraged to register ahead of time for those meals to give dining services an idea of how many people will be in attendance.

Saturday lunch following the Commencement ceremony is a boxed lunch. Tickets for that lunch must be pre-purchased through the online registration form. A limited number of tickets will be available for sale on-site during the weekend. Once we run out of tickets, we are out of lunches.

Wheelchairs

The College partners with a local company to procure a limited number of wheelchairs for guests to rent for the weekend. While we tend to order a few extra in case of emergencies, we strongly encourage families to request them while registration is open to ensure we have enough for everyone who will need them.

Final costs for the upcoming weekend will not be determined until closer to March, when registration opens, but the cost of items in 2025 can be used as a general reference:

• On campus single room: $65

• On campus double room:  $85

• Pay as you go breakfast (Friday and Saturday): $11

• Pay as you go lunch (Friday): $14

• Pay as you go dinner (Thursday and Friday): $16

• Saturday boxed lunch: $17

• Wheelchair: $50

A full refund can be issued for cancellations of any reason up until one week after registration closes. After that date, all refunds will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Refunds will not be issued during Commencement Weekend. Any cancellations and refunds requested during that time will be considered in June.

While the dates and the details of who is speaking change from year to year, the overall schedule of events is the same every year. Guests are welcome to arrive on campus after 3 p.m. on Thursday; the Baccalaureate ceremony is held at 1 p.m. on Friday; and the Commencement ceremony is held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.

The online schedule will be updated throughout the spring semester as speakers are solidified and announced.

Dorm rooms are available on Thursday and Friday nights. Guests must register in advance for on-campus housing.

Guests can check-in between 3 and 10 p.m. on Thursday or between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Friday.

Guests must check out by 10 a.m. on Saturday, before the 10:30 a.m. start of the Commencement ceremony.

Traditionally, a Baccalaureate was a religious mirror to the Commencement ceremony that takes place the next day. As Kenyon moved away from its original episcopal ties, it decided to keep the event but center it on the senior class. Student speakers are chosen from the five academic divisions of the College as well as up to five of the most practiced spiritual faiths of the class. The address is given by a faculty member nominated and voted on by the senior class.

The individuals giving the ceremony addresses are announced first to the senior class at the annual Fandango event in February before being announced on the College website and via press releases the following week.

Yes, both ceremonies, Baccalaureate and Commencement, will be livestreamed. The links will be available on the Commencement website in May.