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.

At this point, we do not foresee any additional changes being made to the 2021 Commencement schedule.

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.

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.

Students and faculty marshals will meet in the parking lot behind Canisius Hall. Please plan to arrive no later than one hour prior to the start of your celebration.

Upon arrival, please find your assigned faculty marshal, who will then confirm your name and put you in line accordingly.

Bring your gown, hood, cap, tassel, and mask. Those who missed the online ordering deadline can pick up regalia at the Stag Spirit Shop during regular business hours starting on May 14. The Stag Spirit Shop will also be open starting at 7:30 a.m. each Academic Celebration day.

Along with a mask, each guest must provide a copy of their e-ticket in order to gain admission to the celebration. It is highly suggested that graduating students forward tickets through email to their guests to print out prior to coming to campus. Printed tickets will speed entry into the celebration.

The in-person Academic celebrations will take place on Bellarmine Lawn. Deans, faculty, and students will gather in their regalia for a ceremony celebrating each student’s academic accomplishments. Students will be recognized by their dean and invited, by name, to walk up the steps of Bellarmine Hall.

Please note that the conferral of degrees will happen at the virtual Commencement Ceremony on the following Sunday, May 23.

In order to ensure social distancing guidelines, each student may invite a maximum of two (2) guests to their respective Academic Celebration. Current students do not need to reserve a ticket for themselves.

All in-person Academic Celebrations will be livestreamed so those who cannot attend will be able to participate in this important occasion.

All Academic Celebrations 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 a celebration will need to be canceled.

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.

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.

Tickets reservations are password protected and case sensitive. Please check your student email for the password and 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.

The tickets should be treated as you would any other valuable. Tickets for the Academic Ceremonies need to be reserved by Friday, April 30th at 11:59 PM.

The in-person Academic Celebrations have been designed specifically for the students in their designated programs. Each student’s name will be called out so it is important that all students attend their assigned ceremony. Any students who claims tickets for a ceremony other than the one designated to them will have those tickets voided by a Commencement admin. You will receive a refund email if this situation applies to you.

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

Students should attend the celebration that aligns with their primary major. To double check which major they have listed, students should access the “Student Records“ task in my.Fairfield. Once there they should select their “Academic Transcript” and their primary major will be listed at the top.

Students that would like to update their primary major, should send an email to the registrar@fairfield.edu with the subject “Commencement”. The email should include their name and ID# along with an explanation as to why they are look-ing to switch their primary degree to the one that they currently have as their secondary.

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.

Yes, a photographer from GradImages™ will be at your ceremony to take a candid photograph of you at your special moment of recognition. You will receive a free passport-sized digital proof of this photo on an order card within 5 to 7 days following the ceremony. After commencement, graduates can locate their graduation photos online by visiting http://www.gradimages.com.

The following pieces of information are required to access their account:

• Last Name of the graduate
• School name
• Graduation Year

Since photographs will be available, family members and guests are encouraged to remain in their seats, relax and enjoy the ceremony.

Graduates can pre-register their name and email address at www.gradimages.com. By doing so, they will receive a discount of 20% off an order of $50 or more. To pre-register, visit www.gradimages.com and click on registration.

Yes, buses will be provided for members of the Class of 2021 currently living at the beach.

• Students should board the buses at Veteran’s Parking Lot by 8 a.m. for all 9:30 a.m. celebrations and by 12:30 p.m. for all 2 p.m. celebra-tions. Masks must be worn at all times while on the buses and on campus.
• Students will be dropped off at Canisius and report to their assigned location.
• Students interested in using this service should sign up by Thursday, May 13, here.

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.

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.

During this ceremony, the deans will present their graduates and President Mark R. Nemec, PhD will confer degrees on all graduates. Speakers will also address the Class of 2021. We encourage you to celebrate the conferral of your degree by the president at home with your family.

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.

Starting on April 1, you were provided access to the Commencement Checklist, where you can review a list of mandatory and optional Commencement-related action items and see your completion status.

The ordering deadline for the Class of 2021 undergraduates 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 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. in the Barone Campus Center, Lower Level. Students unable to attend the May 13 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 7:30 a.m. each academic celebration day.

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 June. Additional questions may be directed to registrar@fairfield.edu.

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.

Fairfield will hold a series of senior experiences from Friday, May 14 through Sunday, May 16 with in-person celebrations scaled appropriately to comply with all State guidelines. Check your email and visit fairfield.edu/seniorweek for more details.

Due to the State of CT guidelines for large gatherings, these events all have a maximum capacity. We have offered multiple sessions of most events to allow for more students to have the opportunity to participate. When determining which events you will attend, please make note of the date and times as well as your testing requirements, as some events overlap, causing you to have to pick and choose strategically. You can view the Senior Experience comprehensive schedule here, to assist with planning. (Please note, this is subject to changes).

Tickets can be claimed by visiting our ticketing site, here. Students will receive an email confirmation summarizing their event reservations after check out. For the events that require an e-ticket, students will receive those through email as a PDF. Tickets for the Senior Experiences need to be reserved by Friday, April 30th at 11:59 PM.

Due to our smaller event capacities per the State's Covid-19 regulations, we anticipate that these events will fill up quickly. We suggest claiming your tickets earlier, rather than later.

Guests are not permitted to attend any of the Senior Experiences during May 14 - May 16 or to visit campus during this time frame.

All events range from free - $10 per ticket.

Students who register for any of the senior experiences will be responsible for their own transportation on and off campus.

All events take place, rain or shine.

Please direct questions to seniorweek@fairfield.edu or Colleen Wilson, Assistant Director in the Office of Student Engagement at 203-254-4000, ext 2081.

Yes, members of the Class of 2021 who have been remote or commuting from home this semester, are invited to participate in the Senior Experiences and/or Academic Celebrations but will need to register for both through our ticket website and abide by the Commencement weekend testing protocol.

Members of the Class of 2021 who have been remote or commuting from home this semester, will be required to email a negative PCR test result to covidhealth@fairfield.edu within 72 hours of the first senior experience they plan to attend.

A second round of testing for all members of the College of Arts & Sciences will take place on 5/14 from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

The second round of testing for all members of the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies and the School of Engineering will take place on 5/16 from 1 - 3 p.m.

Information about registering for these testing dates will be sent through email as the dates approach.

Due to our Covid restrictions, we are unable to provide on-campus housing and our remote seniors and commuting seniors are not permitted to enter any of our on-campus residences. A list of area hotels can be found here

All undergraduate members of the Class of 2021 will be required to participate in surveillance testing prior to attending any Senior Experiences and again prior to participating in their Academic Celebrations.

• The first round of testing for all members of the Class of 2021 will take place on 5/9, 5/10 and 5/11.
• The second round of testing for members of the College of Arts & Scienc-es will take place on 5/14 from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
• The second round of testing for members of the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies and the School of Engineering will take place on 5/16 from 1 - 3 p.m.
• Information about registering for these testing dates will be sent through email as the dates approach.

Students who receive a positive test result during any of the Commencement testing days will be required to go into isolation and will participate in the contact tracing process. Students in isolation or quarantine will not be able to participate in any Senior Experiences or their Academic Celebration.

Any student who is contact traced as a result of a positive classmate will be required to go into quarantine and will not be able to participate in any Senior Experiences or their Academic Celebrations.

Yes, fully vaccinated members of the Class of 2021 are exempt from these testing dates only if they have received the second dose of the vaccine or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson by Friday, April 30th and have submitted their vaccine paperwork by uploading the document to the Student Health Center secure portal available at: www.fairfield.edu/immunization no later than Monday, May 3rd.

Annually our students are required to move off campus by 12 p.m. on the day following their Commencement Ceremony. This year, student academic ac-complishments will be recognized at various individual Academic Celebrations, from May 17 through May 19, and the Commencement Ceremony will be virtual on May 23rd. As a result, and in-line with prior practice of requiring move-out after the final in-person academic celebration, the move-out dates have been moved up to align with the various in-person events:

• College of Arts & Sciences - Move out by Tuesday, May 18 at 12 p.m.
• Charles F. Dolan School of Business - Move out by Wednesday, May 19 at 12 p.m.
• Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies & School of Engineering - Move out by Thursday, May 20 at 12 p.m.

Students are encouraged to use the days leading up to final exams and during the Senior Experiences to condense their belongings and move items home, if possible.

Students that have extenuating circumstances when it comes to this move-out schedule may email studentmove@fairfield.edu. Extensions may be granted on a case-by-case basis.

The University will be holding an in-person Mass for Class of 2021 students only as part of the Senior Experience on Saturday, May 15 at 5 p.m.

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.

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.