Faculty prepares for first traditional ceremony in two years
The first in-person commencement ceremony to take place on the quad this coming May. PHOTO CREDIT: Hannah Charron | Staff Photographer
The University of Rhode Island’s commencement ceremony is returning to the Quad to celebrate the class of 2022 on the weekend of May 20 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the past two years, the University was unable to host its traditional commencement ceremony on the Quad, which normally hosts the entire graduating class and an unlimited number of family members per graduate, according to Dave Lavallee, assistant director of communications and member of the commencement committee.
In 2020, when the pandemic first hit, URI was forced into having a virtual commencement ceremony for that year’s graduates, Lavallee said. To make up for their lack of an in-person ceremony, the University provided them with a traditional ceremony in October of 2021.
For the class of 2021, the University was able to have graduation at Meade Stadium by individual college, but still no full-class graduation on the Quad, Lavallee said. This year, the commencement committee is delighted to bring back the traditional graduation festivities for the class of 2022.
“We’re really excited to be back on the Quad, which we believe is the heart of the University and there’s so much history and tradition involved with that ceremony,” Shana Greene, director of University events, said. “The campus never looks better than it looks that weekend.”
The traditional commencement ceremony includes flags of each country represented in this graduating class, flags of each town in the state of Rhode Island, a keynote address and an undergraduate speaker, according to Greene. In addition, URI graduates from 50 years prior lead the procession onto the quad with all of the current graduates following in tow.
This year, there will be ceremonies for each individual college on Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21. The full-class graduation will happen on Sunday, May 22. Students will be able to have 6 guests at the ceremonies per individual college and an unlimited number of guests at the full-class ceremony on Sunday.
“We work very closely with public safety in order to make sure that we’re adhering to all of the rules and regulations, we have a security team to ensure the safety of the event, and we really create this venue out of the quad,” Greene said. “We bring in chairs, we have the stage, we have a tent to go above the musicians. We have a whole AV system and a huge LED screen so that no matter where you are on the Quad, you can see the ceremony perfectly.”
Additionally, the 2022 commencement ceremony will be livestreamed so that graduates and their loved ones who are unable to attend are able to watch from home, Lavallee said.
A lot of work and preparation goes into planning the commencement ceremony each year. According to Greene, the commencement committee, which is made up of 100 faculty members and staff, start planning for the following year’s commencement in as early as August.
“Normally, I go to the president and the provost to see what their vision is of what the weekend will look like,” Greene said. “Once I get approval from the senior leadership council, then we move quickly forward and we’re pretty much working year round.”
For seniors or students looking for more information regarding commencement, the committee has created a website with all frequently asked questions regarding the ceremony, Greene and Lavallee said.
“There’s nothing quite like the URI commencement ceremony,” Lavallee said. “There’s a lot of preparation that goes into it and it’s a truly special moment for the entire URI community.”