UChicago’s Convocation 2024 celebration to begin May 31

The University of Chicago community and its graduating students will celebrate Convocation this weekend, with a series of events across campus honoring the Class of 2024.

The main University-wide ceremony will begin at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, June 1 with a procession into the Main Quadrangles. During the traditional “calling together” of the UChicago community, President Paul Alivisatos will provide remarks and confer degrees to candidates. This year’s Convocation faculty speaker is renowned UChicago economist John List, the Kenneth C. Griffin Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and the College.

On Friday, June 1, the College will celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2024 at Class Day. Beginning at 2 p.m., the ceremony will include addresses from fourth-year students Arushi Mukherjee, Blessing Nnate and Nell Rydzewski, as well as remarks from Heidi Heitkamp, director of UChicago’s Institute of Politics.

The University’s divisions and schools also will hold diploma and hooding ceremonies throughout the weekend.

For those unable to attend, the Class Day and Convocation ceremonies will be webcast on the UChicago News website. For more information, and a full schedule of ceremonies across campus, visit the Convocation website.

Members of the University community, along with their family and friends, are invited to share photos, memories and congratulatory messages on UChicago social media channels using #uchicago2024.

UChicago honors

During the main Convocation ceremony on June 1, the University will award honorary degrees to two distinguished scholars: Randall Kennedy, the Michael R. Klein Professor at Harvard Law School; and Bernd Sturmfels, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. The University also will recognize faculty members for excellence in teaching with presentations of the Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the Faculty Awards for Excellence in PhD Teaching and Mentoring.

Event logistics

Information about the weekend’s events can be found on the Convocation website. Parking restrictions and road closures will be in place throughout Hyde Park. Convocation shuttles can be tracked at the UChicago TransLoc website.

Tickets are not required for the main ceremony, although they may be required for individual division and school ceremonies. General seating for Convocation will open at 7 a.m. and is available on a first-come basis.

Please note that all bags are subject to inspection before entering the Main Quadrangles. Items that may disrupt other guests from seeing or hearing the ceremony are not permitted inside the Quadrangles.