UMass Dartmouth returns Commencement ceremonies to main campus in 2019 after two years at the Xfinity Center

Four ceremonies scheduled for May 10 and May 13 will allow for unlimited family and friends to attend

The 119^th UMass Dartmouth Commencement ceremonies are returning to the university’s main campus at 285 Old Westport Road, Dartmouth after two at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield.

“Commencement Day is one of the most important milestones in the lives of our students, their families, and our community,” UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Robert E. Johnson said. “This is a celebration that belongs here, where our students have learned, discovered and built lifelong relationships.”

The university experimented with holding the ceremonies at the Xfinity Center after the graduating class and their families had outgrown the Vietnam Veterans Peace Memorial Amphitheater, but after receiving feedback from students, faculty, staff and the community, the university determined that an on-campus solution needed to be identified.

This year’s undergraduate ceremonies will take place on Friday, May 10, 2019 beginning with the College of Nursing, Charlton College of Business, and the College of Visual & Performing Arts at 10:30 a.m. followed by the College of Engineering and the College of Arts & Sciences at 2:30 p.m. These ceremonies will be held on Cressy Field, allowing for an unlimited number of family and friends to attend. The UMass Law commencement ceremony will take place on Monday, May 13, 2019, at 10 a.m. at the Main Auditorium and followed by the graduate student ceremony at 2 p.m. A final decision on the graduate ceremony site on campus is pending. All ceremonies will be held rain or shine.

More details, including honorees and speakers, will be announced soon. For additional information, go to umassd.edu/commencement.

The move of commencement back to campus follows last week’s announcement that UMass Dartmouth and the Town of Dartmouth signed a “town-gown compact” that includes re-starting the Freedom Festival Independence Day celebration on campus in 2020. The festival, which includes fireworks, music, and food, used to attract 20,000 people to campus.