The meaning of commencement

May 12, 2023

As we approach Olin’s Commencement, my third since becoming the president of Olin, I find myself reflecting on the meaning of commencement, modernly defined as “a ceremony celebrating the completion of a degree.”

This special event — with its pomp and circumstance, traditional regalia, ceremonial music, an academic leader wielding a mace at the beginning of a procession — dates all the way back to the 12th century. For some this ceremony might seem old-fashioned.

For me, the true meaning of commencement revolves around what it means for graduates and their families, for institutions, for society at large, and for the world our graduates will enter. I always think about the most literal meaning of commencement as “a beginning or a start.” Commencement for me is a cause for celebration because it marks a new beginning.

I did not attend the commencements for my bachelor’s degree or doctoral degree. In each instance, having completed all the requirements for the degree, I graduated early, left campus, and did not return for the ceremonies. It was not until I participated in commencement ceremonies as a vice provost and then as a dean of engineering that I more fully understood what I had missed in not attending my own. So, I began to embrace the power of a celebratory academic tradition like commencement to bring communities together in a distinctive way to share the experience, recognize support systems, celebrate achievement, and prepare for the future. Through commencement, we share more broadly with the world as we introduce our graduates and launch them on the path to making the world a better place. We recognize, take pride in, and celebrate academic achievement — as well as the support of family and others— and hope for a brighter future.

Olin is indeed a special place, a place like no other, and its commencement is no exception.

Please join me in celebrating the class of 2023 and welcoming them all to their new status as Olin alumni.

Warmly, 

Gilda