Celebration of Excellence
2025 Celebration of Excellence
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
6:00 p.m.
Tillis Performance Hall at the Bromery Center for the Arts
During the convocation ceremony for Commonwealth Honors College seniors, each graduating senior is called by name and presented with an Honors College gold stole. The event precedes the UMass Amherst Commencement.
The 2025 Celebration of Excellence will take place on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in the Tillis Performance Hall at the Bromery Center for the Arts. Due to space limitations at the Bromery Center, the ceremony is reserved for students and faculty sponsors only. While we regret that families and friends cannot attend in person, we invite them to join the celebration via livestream.
In the meantime, if you have questions about the Celebration, please feel free to reach out to the Office of Community Relations and University Events at commencement [at] umass [dot] edu (commencement[at]umass[dot]edu) or 413-577-1101 with your questions.
Information for Graduates
Date:
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Time:
5 p.m. – Graduates must arrive for event check in and seating
6 p.m. – Ceremony starts
Location:
Tillis Performance Hall, Bromery Center for the Arts, UMass Amherst
Attire:
Graduates wear their cap and gown
Who Can Attend:
Due to space limitations at the Bromery Center, the ceremony is reserved for students and faculty sponsors only. There will be a livestream of the Celebration of Excellence available online for family and friends.
Parking
After 5 p.m. free and secure parking is available on Massachusetts Avenue in university Lots 34, and 71. Accessible parking is available in the South Entrance Lot in front of the Bromery Center when the appropriate license plate or placard is displayed. Please note: the Visitors Parking Lot and all meters near the Bromery Center are pay-to-park from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information on parking options near Bromery Center, please visit the UMass interactive parking map.
Gold Stole Presentation
You will receive your Honors gold stole at Celebration of Excellence. After being seated, you will be called to approach the stage.
When your row is called:
- Leave your hat/mortarboard at your seat (your gold stole will not fit over it).
- Bring your Tassel card with you.
- Following the directions of the house ushering staff proceed, row by row, to one of the staircases in front of the stage. There will be two awarding lines going at once; one from each side of the stage.
- At the bottom of the staircase, a CHC Advisor or faculty member will help you place your own stole over your head and onto your shoulders.
- Proceed up the staircase to have your Tassel card scanned.
- Once you reach the center of the stage, turn and proceed through the center of the risers on stage. There will be ushers backstage to guide you towards the photography stations (one on each side—off stage).
- The photographer will take your picture with your stole on.
- You can then go out the aisle entrances (on each side) and return to your seat.
Processional
- At the conclusion of the Celebration, the Platform Party and faculty will process off the stage.
- Wait for the house lights to go up and then you can exit the Bromery Center.
2024 Celebration of Excellence
2023 Celebration of Excellence
2022 Celebration of Excellence
Celebration of Excellence 2022 Photos
Photos by Will Kraft `24
2021 Virtual Celebration of Excellence
Celebration of Excellence 2021
The 2021 Honors Convocation was a virtual event in recognition of Honors graduates and their families that took place on Thursday, May 13, 2021, at 6:00 p.m.
2020 Virtual Celebration of Excellence
The 2020 Honors Convocation was a virtual event in recognition of Honors graduates and their families that took place on Thursday, May 7, 2020, at 6:00 p.m.