Putting the safety and welfare of Fairfield’s students, families, faculty, and staff above all else, representatives from every area of the University have been hard at work over the past year to explore every possible scenario for our Commencement ceremonies. As the pandemic has continued to evolve, the University has worked directly with the State of Connecticut, Town of Fairfield, and Department of Public Health to determine the best approach. These final plans are the result of all those efforts.

Class of 2021, during your last week at Fairfield we have put together discounts for you to enjoy at some of our local establishments! Whether you've dined there a million times, or this will be your first - they can't wait to serve you. From Thursday, May 13 – Thursday, May 20, show your Class of 2021 StagCard at each location listed here and receive their promotion. Seniors have the opportunity to claim the promotion as many times as desired during the timeframe.

The ordering deadline for the Class of 2021 graduate students who wanted to have their items shipped home was April 11, 2021. Students who did not meet the deadline are encouraged to attend the on-campus cap and gown distribution event on Thursday, May 13, 2021 10am-6pm in the Barone Campus Center, Lower Level. Students unable to attend the May 13th event will have an opportunity to pick up regalia at the Stag Spirit Shop during regular business hours starting on May 14, 2021. The Stag Spirit Shop will also be open starting at 7:30am each academic celebration day.

As long as you have met the requirements to graduate, you will be “graduated” on May 23, 2021, regardless of a physical ceremony. For purposes of educational attainment verification, your graduation will be reflected on your transcript. While we hope you are able to participate in this virtual ceremony, your participation in the ceremony does not affect your ability to graduate.

Upon verification that your graduation requirements have been met, the Registrar will mail your diploma to the address you provided on your graduation application. If you are scheduled to graduate in May, diplomas will be mailed out in early June. Additional related questions may be directed to registrar@fairfield.edu.

While you will have access to your Fairfield email account as alumni, we also understand that it may or may not be your preferred email account. You may also register with our alumni community by visiting fairfield.edu/alumnicommunity and click “Register Now” under “First Time Visitor.” Search by your first and last name, select your student ID when prompted, and follow subsequent prompts to set up your username and password.

You can also forward your Fairfield University email to your personal account using these instructions.

If you have any Commencement-related questions that were not addressed on this FAQ page, please email commencement@fairfield.edu or you may call 203-254-4000, ext 2256.

The Academic Celebration will take place on Bellarmine Lawn, rain or shine, with social distancing protocols in effect. In the case of severe weather, there is a possibility the celebration will need to be canceled.

Yes, all Academic Ceremonies will be live-streamed and archived on the University website.

In order to ensure social distancing guidelines, each student may invite a maximum of two (2) guests to their respective Academic Celebration to share with two guests of their choosing. Current students do not need to reserve a ticket for themselves. Please check your student email for the private link to claim your tickets on our Eventbrite site.

After check-out students will receive their tickets through email as a PDF for distribution to their guests. Each ticket has a unique barcode, therefore duplicate tickets will not be permissible. Tickets can always be located again through the Eventbrite app or through your confirmation email.

Tickets for this Academic Ceremony need to be reserved by Friday, April 30th at 11:59 PM.

All students participating in their in-person Academic Ceremony are required to wear regalia (cap, tassel & gown). Please check your Commencement Checklist for updates on purchasing, if you haven’t done so already.

Graduate students are not required to be tested prior to coming to campus, but are asked to monitor their health and not come to campus if any of the following statements are true:

• If they are experiencing a fever (100.4 F) or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting or diarrhea.
• If they were in close contact with an infectious individual diagnosed with COVID-19 or were advised to quarantine by a Public Health Official in the past 14 days.
• If they have returned from international travel within the past 14 days.

Masks must be worn at all times while on campus.

No, fees will not be refunded. Graduation fees are always collected from all graduates regardless of their participation in Commencement ceremonies. The fee covers the cost of a number of elements of a student’s graduation including the processing and mailing of diplomas and more.

While guests are not required to be tested prior to their visit to campus, they are asked to monitor their health and not come to campus if any of the following statements are true:

• If they are experiencing a fever (100.4 F) or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting or diarrhea.
• If they were in close contact with an infectious individual diagnosed with COVID-19 or were advised to quarantine by a Public Health Official in the past 14 days.
• If they have returned from international travel within the past 14 days.

All guests are asked to bring their own masks which will be required while on campus.

Each ceremony is estimated to last about 90 minutes.

Guests are welcome to use both the 1073 North Benson and Barlow Gate entrances.

Guests will be required to wear a face mask and have their commencement tickets on hand when entering campus. Students should wear a face mask, have their academic regalia and a photo ID.

Lawn seating will open an hour before each ceremony.

Our graduating class will be seated together in the Bellarmine garden, while guests will be seated in pairs on Bellarmine Lawn.

Each guest must provide a copy of their e-ticket in order to gain admission to the ceremony. It is highly suggested that the graduating student, sends their tickets through email to their guests to print out prior to coming to campus. Printed tickets will gain faster entrance into the ceremony.

Each ticket has a unique barcode, therefore duplicate tickets will not be permissible. Any excess tickets that were refunded by the Commencement team, will be denied entry. Each student is only permitted to bring two guests, one per guest ticket.

To locate your tickets, search your email for noreply@order.eventbrite.com or log into the Eventbrite app with the email associated with your tickets. If you’re having trouble locating your tickets, email seniorweek@fairfield.edu for assistance.

The Class of 2021 Commencement Ceremony will take place virtually on Sunday, May 23, at 9:30 a.m. Check your email and visit fairfield.edu/commencement over the next few weeks for more details.

While we were not able to host our traditional Baccalaureate Mass this year, we are excited to host a 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mass on Sunday, May 16 as well as an 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday, May 23 in celebration of all Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 graduates.

All Masses can be joined virtually here.