AMHERST, Mass. – Media passes will be required to gain access to the field at the Warren P. McGuirk Alumni Stadium for coverage of Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Friday, May 14.
Due to pandemic restrictions, Undergraduate Commencement this year will take the form of four smaller and short ceremonies, all following the same format. Media are invited to attend their choice of these two events:
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Noon: featuring the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, College of Humanities and Fine Arts, and College of Education
- 3 p.m.: featuring the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, College of Engineering, University Without Walls, and Bachelor’s Degree with Individual Concentration candidates
All reporters, photographers and videographers, including those from campus media outlets, should indicate to the Office of News and Media Relations which ceremony they wish to attend. Contact Nancy Miller at nancy.miller@umass.edu. Credentials will be mailed. Journalists will be located at the press tent on the floor of the stadium. Press box access is unavailable this year.
Each ceremony will feature the commencement speaker, Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy, who will confer degrees, and a student speaker. Each ceremony is projected to run approximately 40 minutes.
Journalists attending the commencement ceremony must follow campus COVID-19 protocols and wear face coverings and practice social distancing at all times. If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, do not come to the event. Due to potentially heavy traffic in the Amherst area on commencement day, journalists are asked to arrive 30 minutes early to ensure timely access to the ceremony. Media should check-in at the press tent on the field when they arrive.