President of the College

Shabana Bisaj-Rasikh is the president and co-founder of SOLA, the first girls’ boarding school in Kabul, Afghanistan. She and hundreds of her faculty, staff, and students narrowly escaped the city in August as the Taliban took over. SOLA has relocated in Kigali, Rwanda, in order to provide continuity of education. Shabana has written about her recent experiences, and the importance of women’s education, in the Washington Post and other venues. She is now a regular contributor to their opinion section.  We are delighted to welcome her back home to Middlebury.  

Hear Middlebury singer, author, and celebrity Francois Clemmons read from his debut memoir, now out in paperback. Known to the world from his role on “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” Dr. Clemmons has long been known locally as the Alexander Twilight Artist in Residence and director of the Martin Luther King Spiritual Choir at Middlebury College, where he served from 1997 until his retirement in 2015. He is also an actor, activist, and Grammy Award–winning singer.

Central College Lawn
Rain site: Mead Chapel

President Patton will address the senior class.

Seniors and February ’21.5 students presently enrolled as in-person learners are encouraged to attend. Please RSVP via Presence, as seating is limited. Overflow seating will be available.

Commencement guests and remote learners may not attend.

For a complete up-to-date schedule of Commencement weekend, click here.

Connie Schultz, American writer and journalist and Professional-in-Residence at the Kent State College of Communication and School of Media and Journalism, will deliver this year’s Robert W. van de Velde, Jr. ’75 Memorial Lecture. Her topic is “Next: Journalism in an Age of Reckoning.”

Click here to join by Zoom.

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A service of remembrance and celebration of the life of Olin Robison, 13th president of Middlebury College. Reception to follow.

Join us for a reception to the mark the opening of the student-curated exhibition, Continuity of Change: Living, Learning and Standing together at Middlebury College.

The Vermont Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in four cases in McCullough Student Center — Wilson Hall. There will also be a Q&A with the justices from 11:30 a.m. until noon. The justices normally hear appellate cases in the Supreme Court building in Montpelier, VT but for the past several years they have held a term “On the Road” at a local high school and at Vermont Law School. Wilson Hall will be turned into a courtroom for the day so that students and community members can experience the appellate process.

Biologist Richard Goldsby and anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson discuss their new book on the genetic and social structural aspects of race and racism.

Join Black Lives Matter advocate DeRay McKesson for an interactive program about political activism, as McKesson shares how his liberal arts education gives perspective and informs his approach to advocacy.

Copies of DeRay McKesson’s book, “On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope” will be on sale at the venue, and Mr. McKesson will be available to sign copies after the event.

Sponsored by: Office of the President, The Vermont Humanities Council, and the Mellon Foundation

The first annual Panther Day Parade will begin at the Kirk Alumni Center at 3:30pm and will end behind the Mahaney Arts Center with a Harvest Fest celebration of food, drink, and music.