Especially for Guests

Wellesley College asks that all guests attending commencement events be vaccinated, but recognizes that family and friends traveling from around the world may not have had equal access to vaccines.  We encourage campus guests for commencement to wear masks when in crowds and follow all local and state guidance to keep everyone healthy.

The Office of Parent & Family Programs often reserves a room block at a group rate for the families at several area hotels.  Rooms are based on availability.  Please make sure to request the Wellesley College Commencement room block. 

• To reserve the Hampton Inn, Natick, MA click on the hotel name or call 1-508-653-5000.
• To reserve the Verve Crowne Plaza in Natick, MA please call 1-800-265-0330. 
• To reserve the Marriott Courtyard, Natick, MA, click on the hotel name or call 1-508-655-6100. 
• To reserve the Residence Inn, Natick, MA, click on the hotel name or call 1-508-651-5250.   

There are no religious observances on Friday, May 17 2024.

Need disability-related accommodations? Students or guests needing disability accommodations during Commencement should make accommodation requests using the Disability Accommodation Requests online form.  

Questions? Email accessibility@wellesley.edu or call  781-283-1300 or 781-283-2434. View map with disability access points on campus.

Manual Wheelchair for use during Commencement related events on Thursday and Friday

To rent a wheelchair privately at the rate of $25.00 for the week, you may contact Byrne Home Health Center in Natick by calling 508-655-3656.  The college does not provide wheelchairs for guests.

Accessible Seating because of a mobility, hearing, seeing, or health-related disability or impairment

There is limited seating capacity in the accessible areas of the ceremony site, as well as auxiliary viewing areas.  Registering early will help us to plan for any accommodations. To provide adequate seating during the ceremony, we ask that only one guest accompany each guest with limited mobility.

Accessible Seating with Aisle Space for a guest using a wheelchair

Please make a request to ensure enough maneuvering and aisle space.

Accessible Drop-off Area

There will be a drop-off area at Commencement for guests with disabilities who request this and are being driven to the ceremony.

Accessible Parking Area

A designated parking area will be provided for guests who have mobility impairments and are driving themselves and make this request.

Transportation between Parking Area, Ceremony, and Reception with lift-equipped Van

We will be operating a sedan service with a ramp to those who request this.  Additionally, there is a drop off area at Severance Green that provides a short distance to the ceremony site.  

Interpreters, Transliterators, and Captioning for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing

Our commencement ceremony is live captioned.  Requests may be made for other accommodations using the form.

Alternative-Format Programs for individuals who are blind or have low vision  

Requests may be made for audio, large print, or Braille Commencement programs: Please make your request for a large print or Braille Commencement program early to allow for production time.

We may be offering simultaneous translation for attending family or friends in Mandarin, Spanish, and Korean. Students interested in reserving headphones for themselves or family members will have access to a sign up form in the spring. This will help us to anticipate and plan for student and family needs.

Family and friends watching the ceremony remotely will be able to access translation for those same languages through a service called Kudo. There will be a link to this service on the Wellesley Live page during the ceremony. We will also be translating the written program into these three languages. Printed copies will be available at the tables where headsets can be picked up on the morning of commencement, and will be posted to the Wellesley website.

Wellesley Fresh Dining Hours for will be posted when available.  
 

Thursday, May 16, 2024

Join us for a Pre-Baccalaureate Luncheon at Bates Hall Culinary Center. Tickets are required for students and all guests and a link will be posted in the spring. 

Friday, May 17, 2024

Collins Cafe is open for coffee and refreshments

The Emporium is open for coffee and refreshments

More information about our culinary centers

Baccalaureate Day

The Access Van will be available on both Friday and Saturday.  To call for the Access Van for transportation: 617-791-6100 .  There is no other transportation available on this day so please plan accordingly. If you are attending any activities on campus, please only park in public parking areas. The Davis Garage and the Science Center Meadow may be used for all activities. Founders Lot parking will open for the public after 3:00pm.  

Commencement Day
Parking attendants will guide families to several locations around campus. Once you have arrived on campus via the Route 16 or Route 135 entrances and are on College Road, parking attendants will be available to help you find a parking space. A designated parking area will be provided for guests who require accessible parking and have the appropriate tag.  

There is a drop off loop if you wish to let your guests off at the nearest location to the celebration site.  Please view the commencement map on these webpages.  You can then park your vehicle and meet back up with your guests.

Please take note of the lot you are parked in. It is easy to forget which location you are parked in as many of the spaces are in fields.  

There will be transportation, both shuttle service and golf car service, from the parking areas to the ceremony and back to the parking areas.

View the Commencement Map and print a copy to note where you have parked.

Commencement Exercises: We do not anticipate requiring a ticket in 2024 for the main ceremony. 

Please take into consideration the ever-changing nature of New England weather. Our commencement ceremony is planned for outdoors under a large tent and will continue rain or shine. In the event of rain, please be prepared to wear appropriate shoes and clothing as you will still be walking outdoors to the ceremony site and many of our parking areas will be in our fields. We encourage bringing your own reusable water bottle to help reduce the use of single use plastic bottles. This is particularly helpful in the case of a very warm day. There will be water stations set up at the ceremony site for refilling your reusable water bottle.

Thank you for helping us with our sustainability efforts on campus.

• You may dowload the commencement program to your device as well download a mobile friendly list of names.  Those will be available on the main website. 
• We encourage the community and visitors to bring their own reusable water bottle to the venue.  You may refill at our outdoor chilled water stations or inside many of our buildings on campus. We will not have single use plastic water bottles for sale.
• Please dispose of all trash and recylables in the marked bins outside of the ceremony tent.
• Students wishing to pay their gowns forward may drop these items off at Billings in the labeled boxes or in the labeled boxes at their residence hall bell desks.

Commencement Flowers will be set up near the commencement ceremony early in the morning to offer beautiful bouquets of flowers for sale, if this is allowed under current guidelines. You may also pre-order flowers if you prefer. Order Flowers in advance or at the kiosk located near the ceremony.  

The Wellesley College Bookstore has wonderful gift ideas. The Bookstore Hours for Commencement will be posted in the spring.

Safety and security are paramount at Commencement.
Our safety precautions are intended to ensure Commencement and related events run smoothly. We appreciate your assistance as we work to ensure that Commencement is a joyous occasion for all.

Bags, Luggage, Backpacks, and Other Large Containers
Commencement attendees are respectfully discouraged from bringing large bags, luggage, backpacks, and other large containers to any Commencement activities. Please know that all such bags and containers are subject to search. Attendees are also asked not to leave personal property unattended while attending Commencement.

In the event unattended property is discovered, it may be inspected in place, removed, and searched for ownership information by College officials. Any removed property may be recovered at the Wellesley College Police Department located in the Davis Parking Facility or you can call campus police at 781.283.2121 (extension 2121 on-campus) to inquire about removed or recovered property.

Obtaining a travel visa for family members to visit from other countries?

If you would like to invite your immediate family members to visit the United States for your graduation ceremony, they may need to apply for a B-1/B-2 tourist visa at the American Embassy in their home country. The Registrar's Office will assist you by providing the letter authenticating that your student is a graduate at the commencement ceremony. Students should visit this page and submit the Google Form to the Registrar's Office to begin the process. Questions? contact registrar@wellesley.edu

Videography
Wellesley College videotapes the full Commencement Exercises and posts this video on YouTube for students and families to enjoy.

Photography
The respective companies will contact graduating seniors directly to offer these items for sale. You are not under any obligation to purchase the photos.

Panoramic Photos of Senior Graduating Class on Severance Hill:
Panfoto Order Form for the Class of 2024 (from Orientation)

Individual Photos of Graduates Receiving Diplomas:
If it is safe to do so, a photographer will be on site to take photos at an in person gathering.

GradImages is the professional photographer hired to capture photographs of each student during the conferring of degrees. These photographs will be available for students and their families to order. We encourage all students to pre-register with Grad Images in order to have viewing access to the proofs. Pre-Registration closes on commencement day. Register here
Once pre-registration closes, students and families who would like to see the proofs and haven't pre-registered should contact: Customer Service Department at (800) 261-2576, online at www.gradimages.com, or email ecc.giservice@gradimages.net. Grad Images has a large team of customer care representatives ready to help graduates and family members with anything they may need.
 

Additional Photo opportunities with your student during a traditional spring semester and ceremony

Wellesley College Campus is alive with beautiful plantings and gorgeous outdoor settings. Throughout the Commencement activities, there will be many opportunities to take photographs. Here are some of our favorite photo opportunities:

Senior Week activities
Senior Class Photo
Procession to the Chapel for Baccalaureate
Pre ceremony and post ceremony

During the commencement ceremony we recommend that families stay at their seat and snap a photo of the Jumbo Screen showing their student processing and more fun candid shots that will appear on the viewing screens in all locations.  

Traditionally, the post ceremony light lunch is a beautiful setting for gathering everyone together for celebratory photos.