Below are some frequently asked questions about Commencement.
Commencement FAQ
Baccalaureate will take place in the Chapel at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
Graduates will receive the Line-Up Instructions during Senior Week, May 11–15, 2026.
Trinity’s Commencement ceremony is held outdoors on the Main Quad rain or shine. Degree candidates may invite an unlimited number of guests; no tickets or registration are required, and ample seating is available for general audiences.
In the event of extreme weather conditions that threaten personal safety (such as a severe thunderstorm), the Commencement ceremony may be held indoors. In the unlikely event that the ceremony must be held indoors, seating will be limited to two guest tickets per graduate. Extreme weather tickets will be distributed to degree candidates at Commencement Packet Pickup on Monday, May 11, 2026, between noon and 3:00 p.m.
Several indoor locations will be open for additional guests to view a livestream of the ceremony.
Yes. A live video of the Commencement ceremony will be available online beginning at 10:30 a.m. Check the Commencement homepage for the live broadcast.
Please send the following information to Katie Clair, associate director of international students and scholars, at [email protected]: names of family members, their relationship to the student, approximate dates of travel, home country, and where they will stay while in the United States.
Trinity’s Commencement ceremony is held outdoors on the Main Quad rain or shine. To manage high heat and humidity, guests are encouraged to bring reusable bottled water. Water stations will also be available throughout and after the ceremony.
Graduates may invite an unlimited number of guests; no tickets are required and ample seating is available for general audiences.
In the event of extreme weather conditions that threaten personal safety (such as a severe thunderstorm), the Commencement ceremony may be held indoors. In the unlikely event that the ceremony must be held indoors, seating will be limited to two guest tickets per graduate. Extreme weather tickets will be distributed to degree candidates at Senior Packet Pickup on May 11, 2026 between noon and 3:00 p.m. in the Mather Hall, Cave Community Area.
Several indoor locations will be open for additional guests to view a livestream of the ceremony. Indoor viewing locations are:
- Albert C. Jacobs Life Sciences Center, Boyer Auditorium
- Clement Chemistry Building, Cinestudio
- Austin Arts Center, Goodwin Theater
- McCook Academic Building, McCook Auditorium
- Mather Hall, Washington Room
If changes are required due to extreme weather conditions, details will be communicated by 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 17, 2026. An email will be sent to the campus community, and a notice will be posted on the Trinity website.
A limited number of parking spaces are available in the Jarvis lot on Summit Street, and people must have a college-issued accessibility parking pass in order to park there for Commencement. Wheelchair seating will be available on the Main Quad.
A form will be posted in the early spring for graduates to submit a request.
A number of places in the Hartford area offer wheelchair rentals, and you can find them online. Trinity College does not endorse or recommend the use of one rental place over another.
You may pick up your cap and gown as part of your senior packet on May 11, 2026, from noon to 3:00 p.m. in the Mather Hall Cave Community Area. The cap and gown fee of $75.00 posted to your Student Accounts on February 13, 2026.
Pro Pics has been retained by the College to photograph the graduates as they cross the stage and after they walk off the platform. Graduates will receive proofs via email and may purchase photos at that time.
A translation of the diploma can be on the Registrar’s Office website here.
Latin honors are determined after all grades have been submitted and finalized. Students may monitor their cumulative grade point average online. Degrees are conferred with honors based on the student’s final cumulative grade-point average. Honors are conferred as follows:
- summa cum laude—3.900 and higher
- magna cum laude—3.800 to 3.899
- cum laude—3.667 to 3.799
The College hosts a post-Commencement Celebration on the Grass Practice Field following the ceremony. Graduates, their families, and guests are encouraged to attend and bid farewell to faculty and staff, friends, and classmates.
In addition to the College reception, some graduates and their families choose to rent a tent and sponsor their own individual post-Commencement celebration. Read more about sponsoring an individual post-Commencement celebration.
The bookstore will be open 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. on May 16, 2026, and 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. on May 17, 2026 (Commencement Day).
Residential communities close promptly at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, 2026. ID card access will be terminated from all buildings on campus at this time.
Requests from students to remain on campus beyond this date will not be approved. For more information, please contact [email protected].
If you did not find the answers to your questions here, please email [email protected].
