UHart Moves to Single-Day Commencement

The University of Hartford moved its May Commencement ceremonies to the XL Center in downtown Hartford several years ago, and has seen the great benefits of being able to offer graduates the opportunity to invite an unlimited number of guests to share in their milestone. We have also experienced the benefits of holding our Commencement at a facility designed for large-scale events. The amenities offered by the XL Center have greatly enhanced the Commencement experience, including convenient parking, plentiful accessible seating for guests with mobility limitations, a professional events staff, and a range of food concessions.

Based on the success of this model and with capacity for the May ceremonies to become larger and even more impactful moving forward, the decision has been made to have Commencement ceremonies take place only in May, and not to continue with the on-campus Fall Commencement ceremonies in December. This comes after careful consideration and research by a team of UHart community members, who concluded that this was the best approach to provide a memorable graduation experience for all of our students, their entire families, and as many guests as desired. This change eliminates the stresses on all sides of having to limit the number of guests that graduates can invite—which has become an increasing concern with Fall Commencement.

Degrees will continue to be awarded in September, January, and May—and all degree recipients during a given academic year will be eligible to attend Commencement at the XL Center that May. The 2024 ceremonies are scheduled for Sunday, May 12.