Parent Information

2008 Commencement Weekend Information for Parents

Please note: Parents of "Febs" receive Commencement mailings because some students who complete their degree requirements at the end of Winter Term (this year or next) choose to march at the May ceremony. If your son or daughter does not plan to march, please disregard any Commencement material you may receive.

Greetings! Middlebury College is very excited about our upcoming Commencement Weekend and we hope you will find the following information helpful as you plan your visit with us.

You will soon receive an invitation to Commencement. Commencement day is planned for our graduates: The College hosts an outdoor Commencement ceremony so that we can accommodate the families, friends, and guests of our graduates.  NO TICKETS ARE NEEDED. Commencement is held outside, rain or shine. Please come prepared for any kind of weather (warm coats, raincoats, umbrellas, hats, sunscreen, etc.) and please be sure to bring shoes appropriate for damp, uneven, grassy terrain.

A tent, to provide sun and rain protection, will be located behind the seating area. We will provide a live broadcast of the ceremony in McCullough Social Space (directly behind the rain tent, handicap facilities available) and Mead Chapel (up the hill, handicap port-o-let available) for those who want to be inside.

Commencement (Sunday, May 25): No tickets are needed.

Baccalaureate (Saturday, May 24): In order to allow as many people as possible to attend Baccalaureate, and to comply with seating requirements in Mead Chapel, each senior will receive three tickets for Baccalaureate for Saturday, May 24; one ticket is for the senior. There are two ceremonies, one at 2:30 p.m. and another at 4:00 p.m. Seniors will be assigned alphabetically with students whose last names begin with A-L attending the 2:30 ceremony and students whose last names begin with M-Z attending the 4:00 ceremony. The 4:00 ceremony will end no later than 5:00 p.m., so you may plan your dinner reservations accordingly. Since seating is limited, seniors and guests will be able to attend only the ceremony for which they have received tickets. Seniors may pick up their Baccalaureate tickets at the Box Office located in the Grille Lobby of McCullough (see hours below). Seniors may trade tickets among themselves if they wish to attend the other ceremony from which they were assigned. There will be no extra tickets. Folding chairs will be set up outside Mead Chapel for Commencement guests who would like to listen to the Baccalaureate services but who are unable to obtain tickets to be seated inside the Chapel.

Ticket Distribution (Box Office located in the Grille Lobby of McCullough):
Monday – Saturday, May 19-24: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Please note: A student ID will be required. Seniors who are unable to pick up their tickets in person may send a friend with their ID.

Note regarding the Baccalaureate Service: Middlebury College is and always has been a non-sectarian institution, although its founding in 1800 grew out of a Protestant tradition. The Baccalaureate Service pays honor to the history and traditions of the College, one of which has been an address to the senior class by the President at the time of Commencement.

The order of the Baccalaureate Service is intended to welcome people of all faiths, while at the same time acknowledging the College's institutional and intellectual heritage. We extend warm greetings to all those in attendance, affirming the importance of those shared human values that are central to all religious traditions and beliefs. Through this service, we both recognize our past and celebrate the diversity of belief encompassed by the members of the senior class, their families, and friends.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information: Please see "FAQ" section of this website, or call Jodi Litchfield at 802-443-5936. 

Guidelines for private parties on campus: Graduating seniors (not parents) may reserve certain residence hall lounges for small private parties on Friday and Saturday of Commencement weekend. Reservations for such functions must be arranged in advance through the appropriate Commons Coordinator. Social House parties must be arranged through the Dean of the College office.

If alcohol is to be served, the laws of the State of Vermont must be adhered to. The party will need to submit a private Party Registration form through the Commons office or, if a Social House, from the Dean of the College office. If the party is held in a licensed facility on campus, the licensee (Middlebury College) must provide the alcohol.

Graduating seniors wishing to use nonresidential College facilities and/or outdoor public areas must reserve space in advance through the Events Scheduling and Information Office (no tents are to be erected).

Any alcohol served at parties or events held in nonresidential spaces must be provided by the College's Dining Events. These catered events must be registered 21 days in advance to allow time to meet the Vermont Liquor Control Board requirements.

Because of the many events on Commencement Weekend, the College is unable to provide special set-up services for such events (the college will NOT provide tables, chairs, set-up, or clean-up). Set-up and clean-up will be the responsibility of the person(s) having the party. Limited catering may be available from Dining Events. Dining Events also offers a list of approved off-campus caterers.

The spaces listed in the table will be used only for official College events during Commencement weekend. Seniors and their families may not reserve those facilities for private parties and should check with Events Scheduling (x2885) for the availability of other spaces.

FACILITIES OFF-LINE FOR COMMENCEMENT

Please contact the following offices for scheduling or for further information: Events Scheduling and Information Office, 802-443-2885 and Dining Events, 802-443-5347.

Vacating graduate rooms: Graduates are required to be moved out of their dormitory rooms no later than
11:00 p.m. on Commencement day, May 25. (These deadlines must be enforced so that rooms can be maintained and prepared for Reunions and Language Schools.)

Miscellaneous Note: We ask that you not hire any planes with banners to fly over the Commencement site during the actual ceremony (10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.). You are free to make arrangements after the ceremony.

INFORMATION ON LODGING IN MIDDLEBURY AND SURROUNDING AREAS IN VERMONT AND NEW YORK

In November 2007, Middlebury College made available a very SMALL number of rooms on-campus and at Bread Loaf to Commencement weekend guests.

All college housing is now full.

Parents and other guests are encouraged to make arrangements with area lodging establishments as soon as possible. Sleeping in unreserved spaces will not be allowed. A listing of Web sites and other resources with information on lodging in Addison County, elsewhere in Vermont, and neighboring areas of New York State is provided below.

INFORMATION ON LODGING IN MIDDLEBURY AND SURROUNDING AREAS

Addison County Chamber of Commerce:
http://www.midvermont.com/lodging/lodging.shtml

The Addison County Chamber of Commerce maintains a list of area hotels, motels, B&B’s, private homes, and other lodging establishments throughout Addison County. You may have received their brochure over the summer with a mailing sent from the College’s Alumni and Parent Programs office. A link to the Chamber’s website is provided above. Please feel free to call them first to check on availability for any of the properties listed. Their toll free number is 1-800-733-8376. For other options outside of Addison County, please click on any of the links listed below.

OTHERS:
Vermont:
The Heart of Vermont Lodging Association:
http://www.vermontinns.com/

Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce:
http://www.brandon.org

Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce (Burlington area):
http://www.vermont.org

Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce:

http://www.rutlandvermont.com/memberlistings/lodging.html

Killington Chamber of Commerce (Rutland area):
http://www.killingtonchamber.com/

Mad River Valley/Waitsfield (Sugarbush) area:
http://www.madrivervalley.com/

New York (across Lake Champlain--Crown Point, Ticonderoga, Hague, Port Henry, Westport):
www.ticonderogany.com
www.lakechamplainregion.com

QUESTIONS about Commencement may be directed to Kathleen Knippler, at knippler@middlebury.edu 
(802) 443-5393.

QUESTIONS: Questions about College Commencement guest housing may be directed to Kathleen Knippler, knippler@middlebury.edu 
(802) 443-5393
or
Karen White, white@middlebury.edu 
(802) 443-3300

We look forward to welcoming you to Middlebury in May.