Bennington College Commencement

Important dates to keep in mind:

(Locations and specific times will be updated and confirmed to you via email as we get closer to Commencement)

• Commencement Rehearsal: Wednesday, May 28th (more details forthcoming early Spring)
• Commencement Eve (Seniors Only): Friday, May 30th (more details forthcoming late Fall)
• Conferring of Degrees Ceremony (All Welcome): Saturday, May 31st (more details forthcoming late Fall)

Class of 2025, December Graduates and MFA Candidates Forms for Commencement

(*Links coming in spring term)

All graduates will be asked to fill out the Cap and Gown form; however, please note that wearing this regalia is optional. The Cap and Gown form is quite brief, and must be completed by the specified date (forthcoming in the spring term 2025). This is essential for timely delivery, as we are still navigating supply chain issues. Caps and Gowns will be distributed at Commencement Rehearsal on Commencement week Wednesday. Please note: your Cap and Gown are yours to keep! 

• Form to fill out for Cap and Gown ordering: (forthcoming in the spring term 2025)

The graduation fee will be billed in the spring semester. This covers the cost of the diploma, the cap and gown and goes to offset the cost of Commencement Dinner. 

For your awareness, emails regarding Commencement will be sent to the parents or guardians marked in your file. Please take a moment to review your file to make sure it is accurate, and use this form to make any necessary updates if you’d like to make changes (e.g. mark a parent or guardian as “do not contact”). Once you press submit, this information will update Populi automatically.

Bennington College is a mask-friendly campus, but masks are not required. Please do not come to campus if you feel ill or have COVID-19 symptoms, or if you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 7 days.

For immediate questions and requests regarding accessibility and mobility around campus, please reach out to commencement@bennington.edu. Event specific information will follow in the spring. 

Information will be sent to guests and graduates in early May. Please check your email and this website for the most up-to-date information. 

Save the date! Rehearsal takes place on Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 (the week of Commencement). Please check your email and this website for the most up-to-date information. 

Be sure to review the For Senior, Dec Grads, MFA Candidates section for videos relating to Commencement Rehearsal for information regarding the Conferring of Degrees Processional!

All guests of graduates must register to attend Commencement weekend celebrations. This information is vital to us for planning purposes, as we need to know the expected number of guests for each of these events in order to staff appropriately. We appreciate your assistance with this important process. 

The registration process  will be handled through a single Guest Registration form. (This will be sent out to parents and guardians in late spring).

Should the need arise, a storm weather evacuation and relocation plan will be shared the week of Commencement. 

All livestream links for Commencement Celebrations will be shared (via email and through this website, under the Livestream section) with graduates and their guests the week prior to, or the week of Commencement. Our live streaming platform is Youtube, where viewers can select the option to generate close captions.

These links will be available after Commencement in the Archive section of this website. 

December 9th, 2024: Commencement 2025

From: commencement@bennington.edu

Dear Class of 2025, a fantastic group of graduating seniors, including December graduates, transfer students, and students who joined us from UArts this term

As we come to the end of term, I wanted to reach out to you with an update regarding the commencement planning process. As you may know, Commencement will be on May 30 (senior-only dinner followed by a dessert reception with families) and May 31, 2025 (formal commencement exercises with families) this coming spring.

Once we finalize the schedule of events towards the end of January, we’ll be in touch with you via email with more details to facilitate planning for you and your family. Please keep an eye on the Commencement webpage which will be your resource for all things commencement. It contains an FAQ section, information you’ll need to order your cap and gown, weather information, registration forms, and more. Having said that, please do not stress yourselves with worrying about keeping track of all things commencement. You will be prompted step-by-step to each action item required with plenty of time to get you through the commencement process. 

In recap, consider this email as a formal ‘save the date’ and as an introduction to the commencement process and staff overseeing it and your point of connection going forward. A copy of this email will go to your family members on file for their reference. In terms of your family members’ planning purposes, we’ll have more details on the schedule at the end of January (and an email will go out at that time) but for now, it would be a good time for them to consider planning their travel and accommodations if necessary.

So in closing, please read all Commencement emails and take the necessary action prompted. Should you have any questions in the meantime, again, review the Commencement FAQ page first and then email us at commencement@bennington.edu for further information if needed.

Wishing you a very happy and healthy holiday season! 

Warmly,

Nicole Arrington
Director of Special Events

December 9th, 2024: Commencement 2025

From: commencement@bennington.edu

Dear families of our graduating students, 

Congratulations! Please see the email below that was sent to your student. As per the prompt below, please consider beginning your accommodation and travel planning if required.
Note: Family programming includes a dessert reception on Friday, May 30 early evening and the formal commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 31 at 10am sharp! We look forward to circling back at the end of January (via email and website FAQ update) with the detailed schedule. If you have any questions in the interim I invite you to please contact me at commencement@bennington.edu.

Sincerely, 

Nicole Arrington 
Director of Special Events

________________________________

Dear Class of 2025, a fantastic group of graduating seniors, including December graduates, transfer students, and students who joined us from UArts this term

As we come to the end of term, I wanted to reach out to you with an update regarding the commencement planning process. As you may know, Commencement will be on May 30 (senior-only dinner followed by a dessert reception with families) and May 31, 2025 (formal commencement exercises with families) this coming spring.

Once we finalize the schedule of events towards the end of January, we’ll be in touch with you via email with more details to facilitate planning for you and your family. Please keep an eye on the Commencement webpage which will be your resource for all things commencement. It contains an FAQ section, information you’ll need to order your cap and gown, weather information, registration forms, and more. Having said that, please do not stress yourselves with worrying about keeping track of all things commencement. You will be prompted step-by-step to each action item required with plenty of time to get you through the commencement process. 

In recap, consider this email as a formal ‘save the date’ and as an introduction to the commencement process and staff overseeing it and your point of connection going forward. A copy of this email will go to your family members on file for their reference. In terms of your family members’ planning purposes, we’ll have more details on the schedule at the end of January (and an email will go out at that time) but for now, it would be a good time for them to consider planning their travel and accommodations if necessary.

So in closing, please read all Commencement emails and take the necessary action prompted. Should you have any questions in the meantime, again, review the Commencement FAQ page first and then email us at commencement@bennington.edu for further information if needed.

Wishing you a very happy and healthy holiday season! 

Warmly,

Nicole Arrington
Director of Special Events

Important dates to keep in mind:

(Locations and specific times will be updated and confirmed to you via email as we get closer to the date)

• Dessert Reception for Families and Guests (4 guests per graduate): Friday, May 30th (more details forthcoming December and spring term)
• Conferring of Degrees Ceremony (All Welcome): Saturday, May 31st (more details forthcoming December and spring term)

Family and Guests Forms for Commencement 

(*Links coming in the spring term 2025)

Important dates to keep in mind:

(Locations and specific times will be updated and confirmed to you via email as we get closer to the date)

• Commencement Eve: Friday, May 30th (more details forthcoming in the spring term)
• Conferring of Degrees Ceremony: Saturday, May 31st (more details forthcoming in the spring term)

Faculty Forms for Commencement

• Links and forms coming in spring 2025.

Important dates to keep in mind:

(Locations and specific times will be updated and confirmed to you via email as we get closer to the date)

• Conferring of Degrees Ceremony: Saturday, May 31st (more details forthcoming in the spring term)

Staff Forms for Commencement

• Links and forms will be shared in spring 2025

• 2024 Commencement Eve and Commencement Day coverage with Safiya Sinclair '10.
• 2023 Commencement Eve and Commencement Day coverage with Sofia Alvarez '07.
• 2022 Commencement Eve and Commencement Day coverage with Jericho Brown.
• 2021 Commencement Eve coverage with Darren Walker and Commencement Day coverage 
• 2020 Commencement Eve coverage with Nigel Poor ’86 and Commencement Day coverage 
• 2019 coverage with Mountain Man
• 2018 coverage with Liz Lerman
• 2017 coverage with Cornell William Brooks
• 2016 coverage with Jane Chu
• 2015 coverage with Gloria Steinem
• 2014 coverage with Johnnetta Cole

• 2024 | Safiya Sinclair '10
• 2023 | Sofia Alvarez '07
• 2022 | Jericho Brown
• 2021 | Darren Walker
• 2020 | Nigel Poor ’86
• 2019 | Mountain Man (Molly Erin Sarlé ’12, Amelia Meath ’10, and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig ’09)
• 2018 | Liz Lerman
• 2017 | Cornell William Brooks
• 2016 | Jane Chu
• 2015 | Gloria Steinem
• 2014 | Dr. Johnnetta Cole
• 2013 | Elizabeth Coleman
• 2012 | Peter Dinklage ’91
• 2011 | Tim Daly ’79
• 2010 | Melissa Rosenberg ’86
• 2009 | Hendrick Hertzberg
• 2008 | Rebecca Tinsley
• 2007 | Mac Maharaj
• 2006 | Glen Van Brummelen
• 2005 | Jonathan Lethem ’86
• 2004 | Shirin Ebadi
• 2003 | Edith Velmans
• 2002 | Meredith Monk
• 2001 | Rick Moody
• 2000 | Gay McDougall ’69
• 1999 | Peter Hedges
• 1998 | Linda Wertheimer
• 1997 | Jane Alexander
• 1996 | Mark Gearan
• 1995 | Irene Borger ’71
• 1994 | Harvey Lichtenstein ’53
• 1993 | Kay Crawford Murray ’56
• 1992 | Harvey Fierstein
• 1991 | Harvey Gantt
• 1990 | Joan Tower ’61
• 1989 | Ellen McCulloch-Lovell ’69
• 1988 | Elizabeth Frank ’67
• 1987 | Barbara Lazear Ascher ’68
• 1986 | Tillie Olsen
• 1985 | Elizabeth Swados ’73
• 1984 | Howard Nemerov
• 1983 | Frederick Wiseman
• 1982 | Joseph S. Murphy
• 1981 | Bernard Malamud
• 1980 | Elizabeth Swados ’73
• 1979 | Vivian Gornick
• 1978 | Mitchell Markowitz ’75
• 1977 | Elizabeth Holtzman
• 1976 | Joseph S. Iseman
• 1975 | Carol Channing ’42
• 1974 | Thomas Brockway
• 1973 | Senior readings and performance
• 1972 | Jimmy Garrison
• 1971 | Anaïs Nin
• 1970 | Kurt Vonnegut
• 1969 | Denise Levertov
• 1968 | Thomas P.F. Hoving
• 1967 | Russell Baker
• 1966 | Howard Nemerov
• 1965 | Gene Baro
• 1964 | William Sloane Coffin, Jr.
• 1963 | David Riesman
• 1962 | Kenneth Burke
• 1961 | Henri Peyre
• 1960 | Francis Fergusson
• 1959 | George Boas
• 1958 | Jacques Barzun
• 1957 | Alvin Eurich
• 1956 | Howard M. Jones
• 1955 | W. Averell Harriman P ’40
• 1954 | Franklin Ford
• 1953 | Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.
• 1952 | Harry Allen Overstreet
• 1951 | Mary Josephine Shelly
• 1950 | Reinhold Niebuhr
• 1949 | Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey
• 1948 | Erich Fromm
• 1947 | Lewis Webster Jones
• 1946 | Reinhold Niebuhr
• 1945 | Justice Frank Murphy
• 1944 | Alexander Meiklejohn
• 1943 | Robert D. Leigh
• 1942 | William Batt
• 1941 | Robert Lynd
• 1940 | Henry Wallace
• 1939 | Dorothy Canfield Fischer
• 1938 | Frederick Lewis Allen
• 1937 | W.H. Kilpatrick
• 1936 | No commencement speaker