Commencement

9 a.m.–5 p.m. | Smith College Bookstore open

8 Green Street

10 a.m.–4 p.m. | Design Thinking Initiative Open Hours

Design Thinking Initiative, Capen Annex, 25A Henshaw Avenue
Drop by the Design Thinking Initiative to explore the studios and create something using the tools and supplies available here.

11 a.m.–4 p.m. | Smith College Museum of Art Open Hours

Smith College Museum of Art
Drop by the Smith College Museum of Art to explore the galleries, connect with museum staff, and enjoy a range of exhibitions: Don’t Mind If I Do, Crafting Worlds: Japanese Decorative Arts from the 18th through 21st Centuries, and People and Stories. You can also revisit longtime favorites in ongoing installations Worlds in Process: Art from the SCMA Collection and The Ancient World Gallery.

1–1:45 p.m. | Ivy Day Leadership Orientation

Julia McWilliams Child ’34 Campus Center front steps, Chapin lawn
A preview of weekend activities and leadership roles for Ivy Day for all members of sophomore push and junior ushers.

1:45–3 p.m. | Commencement Leadership Orientation

Comstock Courtyard
A preview of Commencement and leadership roles for all members of sophomore push and junior ushers, the co-president of the Ada Comstock Scholars, the president of the senior class, and the president of the SGA.

3:30–4:30 p.m. | Baccalaureate, for seniors only

Helen Hills Hills Chapel
Baccalaureate gives seniors an opportunity to pause, reflect upon and rejoice in their accomplishments, challenges, and friendships. President Sarah Willie-LeBreton will deliver remarks to the senior class. Per Smith tradition, students are invited to wear graduation gowns but not caps.

4–5 p.m. | 12-Step Recovery Program Meeting

Wright Hall 002
Open to all.

5–7:30 p.m. | The Smith Bell Ringers’ Open Practice

Mendenhall Bell Tower
All students, alumnae, and families are welcome. Come see the tower (one of the most tucked-away spots on campus!), meet the bell ringers, and see a demonstration of the centuries-old art of change ringing.

8 p.m. | Celebrations Dance Company’s Annual Commencement Concert

Scott Dance Studio
Performance by Celebrations, Smith’s oldest student-run dance company, showcasing student choreography and performance. Donations accepted.

Please note: The anthropology and English departments are holding their receptions on Friday, May 15. For more information, see the “Academic Departments & Programs Receptions” tab.

8 a.m. | Sophomore Push Meeting

Indoor Track & Tennis Facility

8 a.m. | Junior Usher Meeting

Indoor Track & Tennis Facility

9 a.m.–5 p.m. | Smith College Bookstore open

8 Green Street

9–10:30 a.m. | Junior Usher Ivy Day/Commencement Walkthrough (indoor)

Indoor Track & Tennis Facility

9–10:30 a.m. | Commencement Rehearsal, seniors only

Indoor Track & Tennis Facility
Attendance is mandatory for all seniors, junior ushers, sophomore push, and candidates for advanced degrees.

10 a.m.–noon & 1–4:45 p.m. | Special Collections Open House

Special Collections Reading Room, Neilson Library, 3rd floor
Explore unique materials from the College Archives, Mortimer Rare Book Collection, and Sophia Smith Collection of Women’s History. Hourly staff tours of the closed stacks, exhibit displays, and Special Collections reunion swag!

11 a.m.–5 p.m. | Smith College Museum of Art Open Hours

Smith College Museum of Art
Drop by the Smith College Museum of Art to explore the galleries, connect with museum staff, and enjoy a range of exhibitions: Don’t Mind If I Do, Crafting Worlds: Japanese Decorative Arts from the 18th through 21st Centuries, and People and Stories. You can also revisit longtime favorites in ongoing installations Worlds in Process: Art from the SCMA Collection and The Ancient World Gallery.

11 a.m.—noon | Smith Today: A Conversation with President Sarah Willie-LeBreton

Sweeney Concert Hall, Sage Hall
President Sarah Willie-LeBreton will share insights on Smith today and answer audience questions.

11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. | The Grécourt Society Ice Cream Stand

Julia McWilliams Child ’34 Campus Center, main level
Smith’s legacy society honors those who have included Smith in their estate plans. All are invited to enjoy free ice cream and learn more about The Grécourt Society and ways to become a member.

2:15–3:15 p.m. | International Students, Alumnae, and Families Gathering

Lewis Global Studies Center, Wright Hall 127, and Wright Hall upper lobby
A gathering for international students, their families, international alums, and their guests. Grab a quick snack or caffeinate while joining informal conversations with each other and representatives of Smith’s Lewis Global Studies Center and International Alumnae Relations.

2:45–3:45 p.m. | Jandon Center for Community Engagement Reception

Jandon Center for Community Engagement, Wright Hall 013
The Jandon team welcomes you to celebrate our graduating fellows, CESC concentrators, CSO members, tutors, volunteers, and all others who have supported our partners beyond Smith. We hope to see you and your loved ones for light refreshments and crafting activities.

3:15–4:15 p.m. | Study Abroad Students and Alumnae Gathering

Lewis Global Studies Center, Wright Hall 127, and Wright Hall upper lobby
A gathering for alums who studied abroad and their guests. Grab a quick snack or caffeinate while joining informal conversations with each other and representatives of Smith’s Lewis Global Studies Center and former Smith Programs Abroad faculty directors.

4–5 p.m. | 12-Step Recovery Program Meeting

Wright Hall 002
Open to all.

4:30–5:30 p.m. | Chamber Ensemble Concert

Sweeney Concert Hall, Sage Hall
The Smith College Department of Music presents a special Chamber Music recital featuring graduating seniors.

8 p.m. | Celebrations Dance Company’s Annual Commencement Concert

Scott Dance Studio
Performance by Celebrations, Smith’s oldest student-run dance company, showcasing student choreography and performance. Donations accepted.

8–11 p.m. | Astronomy Open House

McConnell Hall foyer and McConnell roof observatory
Open to all. Telescopic observations begin at 9 p.m. (weather permitting)

8:30–10:30 p.m. | Commencement Orchestra Concert

Sweeney Concert Hall, Sage Hall
The Commencement Orchestra, conducted by Jonathan Hirsh, accompanies featured soloists from the senior class. Presented by the Smith College Department of Music.

Please note: Academic departments are holding receptions on Saturday, May 16. For more information, see the “Academic Departments & Programs Receptions” tab.

10 a.m.– 5 p.m. | Smith College Bookstore open

8 Green Street

8 a.m. | Sophomore Push meeting

Outside President’s House

8 a.m. | Junior Ushers assemble

Admission Office parking spaces

Ivy Day Activities

Guests should be seated by 9 a.m. if they wish to view the Alumnae Parade. Any guests that arrive after the beginning of the parade will be held at the door until the parade has finished.

In the event of rain, the Alumnae Parade, Alumnae Awards Presentation and Ivy Day Awards Convocation will be held in the Indoor Track and Tennis Facility (ITT). The signal for such a change in venue will be the ringing of the college bells at 8 a.m. The doors of the ITT will open at that time. Seniors should enter the main lobby of the ITT through the glass doors and will be instructed where to pick up their roses and line up. Junior Ushers should assemble in the ITT by the overhead door. Alumnae will march through the double line of seniors and past the reviewing stand before being seated. The senior class, led by the junior ushers, will then follow.

8:45 a.m. | Seniors assemble

President’s House, front
Roses will be distributed to seniors. Seniors will then form two lines along the driveway, across Paradise Road and up to the Emerson House archway in preparation for the Alumnae Parade and Ivy Day procession. Seniors should wear all-white attire and dark shoes. Please be on time.

Order of Exercises

8:45 a.m. | Alumnae Parade Assembly

Chapin Drive, between the Campus Center and College Lane

9:15 a.m. | Alumnae Parade

Led by the Festival Band, alumnae march toward the president’s house and the quadrangle, through the double lines of the senior class. Alumnae proceed through the Emerson House archway, around the quadrangle and past the reviewing stand on Martha Wilson House steps. Junior ushers follow the alumnae through the lines of seniors, leading the seniors into the quadrangle and past the reviewing stand.

Senior Class Procession
Following the route of the alumnae, the senior class will be led by the junior ushers carrying the ivy chain into the quadrangle, past the reviewing stand, and will then be seated.

10 a.m. | Invocation

The Quadrangle

11 a.m.–5 p.m. | Smith College Museum of Art Open Hours

Smith College Museum of Art
Drop by the Smith College Museum of Art to explore the galleries, connect with museum staff, and enjoy a range of exhibitions: Don’t Mind If I Do, Crafting Worlds: Japanese Decorative Arts from the 18th through 21st Centuries, and People and Stories. You can also revisit longtime favorites in ongoing installations Worlds in Process: Art from the SCMA Collection and The Ancient World Gallery.

11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Athletics and ESS Open House

Ainsworth Gymnasium 151, Ainsworth level 1 entrance hallway
All ESS graduates and ESS minors, as well as current and past athletes, are invited to stop by to visit with ESS faculty and Athletics coaching and administrative staff.

12–1 p.m. | Multicultural Family Brunch

Davis Center Ballroom
Invitation only. This event is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

1–3 p.m. | POSSE Scholars Graduation Celebration

Skyline Reading Room, Neilson Library, fourth floor
A celebration for the POSSE Scholars and their families. Invite-only.

1–4:45 p.m. | Special Collections Open House

Special Collections Reading Room, Neilson Library, 3rd floor
Explore unique materials from the College Archives, Mortimer Rare Book Collection, and Sophia Smith Collection of Women’s History. Hourly staff tours of the closed stacks, exhibit displays, and Special Collections reunion swag!

2 p.m. | Celebrations Dance Company’s Annual Commencement Concert

Scott Dance Studio
Performance by Celebrations, Smith’s oldest student-run dance company, showcasing student choreography and performance. Donations accepted.

2:30–4 p.m. | Residence Life Reception

Clark Hall, conference room and porch
A reception for student staff members and house presidents, seniors, and their families, as well as alums who have served in these roles.

3–4 p.m. | Ivy Day Bellringing

Mendenhall Bell Tower
The Smith College bell-ringers will ring for an hour on Ivy Day to celebrate the class of 2026. The ringing will be audible near the Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts on Green Street.

3–4 p.m. | “Women in Community: Joy & Resilience in the Archive”

Klingenstein Browsing Room, Neilson Library
Explore the rich history of women coming together in community in the Sophia Smith Collection. In the streets and on the playing fields, in the conference room and on the concert stage, Sophia Smith Collection Archivist Mariana Brandman will share the renowned collection’s firsthand accounts of women creating their own space for advocacy, connection, and merriment across more than two centuries.

3–4:30 p.m. | Botanic Garden Open House

Lyman Plant House and Conservatory
Drop in to Lyman Plant House and Conservatory to explore the collections, meet staff, and experience the Botanic Garden’s latest exhibition Koanbanchinemma (do you see the light (in me)), created in partnership with six Nipmuc artists and cultural stewards.

3–5 p.m. | Smith Crew Boathouse Open House and Reception

Connecticut River Boathouse, Sportsman’s Marina, 1 Russell Street, Hadley, Mass.
All Smith crew alumnae, team members, and families are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served. No shuttle service.

3:30–5 p.m. | Smith College Historic Clothing Collection Open House

Theatre T15, Mendenhall Center for the Performing Arts, basement level
Explore this research archive of women’s clothing in the basement of Mendenhall. The cabinets will be open and examples of garments and accessories will be out on view.

The collection was founded by Beth Pfaltz Welsh ’79 and is now in its 46th year. Students from all parts of the curriculum serve as interns and research assistants. A course, “Reading” Dress: Archival Studies of Clothing,” is taught each fall. Items are selected from the collection for research and presentation at an exhibit at the end of the course.

The book Real Clothes, Real Lives: 200 Years of What Women Wore was published in 2023. An exhibition with selections of pieces illustrated in the book ran for nine months at the New York Historical Museum from 2024 to 2025.

4–5 p.m. | 12-Step Recovery Program Meeting

Wright Hall 002
Open to all.

4–5 p.m. | Service of Remembrance

Helen Hills Hills Chapel
A multifaith memorial service for reflecting, remembering, and celebrating the lives of those who have died, focusing on Smith alums who have passed on since the last reunion. All are welcome.

5–6 p.m. | Commencement Choral Concert

Sweeney Concert Hall, Sage Hall
The Smith College Glee Club and Chamber Singers present works chosen by members of the senior class.

7:45 p.m. | Junior Ushers meeting

Admission Office parking spaces

8 p.m. | Senior Class Candle-Lighting Ceremony

Paradise Pond lawn, between the President’s House and Office of Admission

8:15 p.m. | Sophomore Push meeting

In front of Seelye Hall

8:30 p.m. | Sophomore Push/Senior Step Sing

Seelye Hall steps

8:30–10 p.m. | Ada Comstock Illumination Night Celebration

Boutelle-Day Poetry Center, Wright Hall 102

8:30–10 p.m. | Illumination of Upper Campus

Rain location: Julia McWilliams Child ’34 Campus Center
Live music by the Jay Messer Quintet. All are welcome to walk through campus and enjoy this Smith College tradition.

8 a.m.–noon | Smith College Bookstore open

8 Green Street

8 a.m. | Junior Ushers meeting

Steps of Wilson House (rain location: Indoor Track & Tennis Facility)

8 a.m. | Sophomore Push meeting

Steps of Comstock/Haynes Houses (rain location: Indoor Track & Tennis Facility)

Commencement Activities

In the event of rain, the signal for indoor Commencement at the Indoor Track and Tennis Facility will be the ringing of the college bells beginning at 8 a.m. For indoor Commencement, the ITT doors will open at 8 a.m. Graduates will line up at 9:15 a.m. in Ainsworth Gymnasium, and faculty members will assemble in the Ainsworth main hallway (glass-door entrance).

9:15 a.m. | Assembling for Commencement

All graduates must line up on Mandelle Road in front of Comstock and Wilder houses. Seniors should arrive wearing full regalia.

The faculty will assemble in the courtyard behind Laura Scales House (King/Scales courtyard).

Seating Policy

Audience members should be seated by 9:45 a.m. Seats cannot be saved for those arriving later. Tape, signs, and other items places on chairs to save seats will be removed by college personnel.

10 a.m. | Commencement Exercises

The Quadrangle

Immediately following Commencement | Diploma Circle

Laura Scales/Franklin King terrace
Graduating seniors only. Graduates will march out of the quadrangle onto the Laura Scales/Franklin King terrace. No family members or friends will be permitted near the diploma circle. Please stay in line to expedite the distribution of diplomas. (In the event of an indoor Commencement, the diploma circle will be held in Ainsworth Gymnasium.)

11 a.m.–4 p.m. | Smith College Museum of Art Open Hours

Smith College Museum of Art
Drop by the Smith College Museum of Art to explore the galleries, connect with museum staff, and enjoy a range of exhibitions: Don’t Mind If I Do, Crafting Worlds: Japanese Decorative Arts from the 18th through 21st Centuries, and People and Stories. You can also revisit longtime favorites in ongoing installations Worlds in Process: Art from the SCMA Collection and The Ancient World Gallery.