Commencement
Families & Guests
Commencement for the class of 2023 will be held on May 13, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., in the Alumni Field House.
The Commencement ceremony begins promptly at 10:00 a.m. We encourage you to consider using public transportation to come to campus, and highly recommend that you arrive early. Two other local colleges hold their commencement ceremonies on the same day as we do.
A video recording of the Commencement Ceremony will be available on the College's website, shortly after graduation day.
Need Help?
Please reach out to hc-commencement [at] haverford.edu with any questions.
Directions to Campus
Haverford College is easily accessible by car, train, and taxi, and is located about 30-45 minutes from Philadelphia International Airport.
Parking
We recommend that all guests enter from the Lancaster Avenue entrance on Commencement Day, in order to most easily access parking. Our Campus Safety Officers will be stationed at all campus entrances to direct traffic. Parking passes are not required and there will be sufficient parking for all guests. If you have questions, please call the Office of Campus Safety at (610) 896-1111. To provide assistance for any guests who need it, golf carts will run between the Commencement site and various parking areas, all of which are within a five-minute walk from the ceremony.
Rideshare (Uber, Lyft, etc.)
For any guests using rideshare to travel to campus, we have designated a specific location for pick-up/drop-off throughout the day: the traffic circle in front of Sharpless Hall. Please use the Lancaster Avenue entrance to most easily access this location.
Public Transportation
Haverford is easily reached by two different lines of public transportation from SEPTA, the regional transit authority. Travel services (such as Google Maps) will help to project which lines, stops, and transfers will be the most appropriate, depending on each visitor's point of departure.
The Paoli/Thorndale Line runs approximately every half hour on Saturdays, and includes a stop at 30th Street Station, Philadelphia's Amtrak hub. Visitors can connect to the Airport Line there, which runs to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).
The Norristown High-Speed Line runs approximately every twenty minutes on Saturdays, and is best reached (from the city) by the Market-Frankford Line. Please note: Norristown High-Speed Line riders must press the "request stop" button in the train car after the Ardmore Avenue station in order for the line to stop at the Haverford station. Otherwise, the train may pass by the Haverford station entirely.
Honorary Degree Recipients
Each year Haverford College awards up to four honorary degrees to individuals who have distinguished themselves in letters, the sciences, or the arts. Many recipients are noted for their contributions to the overall betterment of humankind and/or Haverford College.
At the 184th Commencement ceremony the College will award an honorary degree to civil rights advocate Karen Korematsu.
Photography
The College will photograph each graduating senior individually as each diploma is presented. We provide this service to ensure that this moment is captured, thus relieving families and friends of any need for photographing. Students and their families will receive an email in the weeks following Commencement with a link to all photographs, and an opportunity to download the files or purchase prints.
Flowers
The Haverford Women's Volleyball team will be selling beautiful spring bouquets for $25 each. Pre-orders will be accepted until Monday, May 8th and bouquets can be picked up from 8:30am until the procession begins at the commencement venue. Payment will be taken at the event in cash or by Venmo. Feel free to Venmo Drew-Hargrave prior to arriving for quick pick up. You will also be able to purchase the flowers the day of for $25 but quantities will be limited so pre-order today to secure your bouquet!
Bookstore
The Haverford College Bookstore will be open Saturday, May 13, 2023, 8:30-10:00 a.m. and noon-2:00 p.m. The bookstore will close for the duration of the ceremony.
You can order graduation announcements, class rings, and diploma frames online. Frames are also available in-store.
Frequently Asked Questions & Tips
- Tickets are not required. All guests are welcome.
- Haverford is a mask-friendly campus. Learn more on our Be Safe website.
- Haverford does not offer reserved accessible seating or designated parking passes; over 2/3 of all seating at Commencement is accessible, and Campus Safety will direct drivers to appropriate accessible parking upon arrival. Contact the President's Office (610-896-1002) to discuss any further accessibility needs.
- Talk with your graduating senior and designate clear meet up spots and times, particularly for the reception after the ceremony.
- Make hotel and travel arrangements as soon as you can, Many colleges and universities are in the area and have Commencements the same weekend, so things can book up quickly.
- Plan ahead regarding move-out. Make sure you work out in advance with your graduating senior where all of their belongings will go. Rooms must be completely emptied by 3:00 p.m. the day following Commencement.