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Livestream & Viewing Locations
Livestream
A livestream of the ceremony will be available the day of the event.
Indoor Viewing Locations
Spanos Auditorium (Room C100, Cummings) will be available for guests on campus who wish to view the ceremony indoors.
Pre-Ceremony Information
All graduates planning to take part in Investiture and Commencement ceremonies must wear regalia, caps, and gowns. Information about regalia rental or purchase is emailed to graduating students by the Thayer registrar. All Investiture participants must have regalia in hand by Friday, June 12.
Questions? Email thayer.registrar@dartmouth.edu.
Regalia and Hoods
Regalia pre-ordered for pick up at Dartmouth can be picked up on Thursday, June 11, and Friday, June 12, between 9:00am and 4:00pm, in the Paganucci Lounge at 53 Commons.
PhD candidates who purchased regalia must bring their hood to MacLean 103 by Friday, June 12, at 4:00pm, so that it can be presented on stage during Investiture.
Arrival Times and Locations
All graduates and faculty taking part in the Investiture ceremony must arrive at their meeting locations by the times noted below on June 13.
- Students: Meet inside Silsby Hall (first floor) by 8:30am.
- Faculty: Meet at The Great Hall in Cummings Hall by 8:30am.
Investiture Program
Schedule for Thayer Investiture (June 13, 2026)
Please note that times may vary.
- 8:30am – Graduates, faculty, and platform party arrive for robing and processional line-up (Graduate Location: Silsby Hall; Faculty Location: Cummings Hall)
- 9:30am – Thayer Investiture begins (Dartmouth Green)
- 11:15am – Ceremony concludes
- 11:20am – Class photo for graduates, faculty, and platform party (Dartmouth Green)
- 11:20am – Reception with light refreshments (West End Circle)
Schedules for other Commencement events can be found on Dartmouth's Commencement website.
Program of Events
Processional
Graduates and faculty are escorted by selected faculty and student marshals (to be announced).
Welcoming Remarks
Douglas Van Citters '99 Th'03 Th'06, Incoming Dean
Santiago Schnell, Provost
Student Address
Delivered by a member of the graduating class (to be announced).
Presentation of Awards
2026 award recipients to be announced at Investiture (award descriptions).
Presentation of Robert Fletcher Award
Named in honor of Thayer's first dean and professor, the Robert Fletcher Award recognizes distinguished achievement and service in the highest tradition of the School.
Keynote Address
2026 Robert Fletcher Award recipient Maria Klawe, Math for America president and former president of Harvey Mudd College.
Conferring of Hoods
Academic deans and program directors confer hoods to BE, MEng, MEM, and MS candidates. Faculty advisors in attendance confer hoods to their respective PhD candidates.
Closing Remarks
Douglas Van Citters '99 Th'03 Th'06
Recessional
Graduates and faculty recess and gather for a class photo on the bleachers on the Green.
Class Photo & Reception
Graduates to take class photos on the Green, immediately following ceremony. Guests are invited to a reception with light refreshments in the West End.
What to Wear
The ceremony takes place outdoors, rain or shine. Hanover weather can vary widely in mid-June. Please dress accordingly and bring hats, sunscreen, jackets, or rain gear as needed. Shoes with low or flat heels are recommended due to the soft ground.
Severe Weather Plan
In the rare event of lightning, hail, dangerous winds, and other extreme weather, a severe weather plan may be implemented. The following pertains only to Thayer School of Engineering’s Investiture ceremony. Protocols for Dartmouth Commencement can be found on the Commencement website.
Reception Location: The post-ceremony reception will move indoors to the MacLean Atrium in the event of severe weather.
Please monitor this page and our social media for the most up-to-date information.
Decision and Notification
A decision to implement the Severe Weather Plan and move the ceremony indoors will be communicated before 6:00am on Saturday via email to graduates, faculty, and staff, and will be posted to Thayer’s website and social media.
Severe Weather Location
If a decision is made to move the ceremony indoors, it will take place in Spaulding Auditorium in the Hopkins Center for the Arts for graduates, participating faculty, and a limited number of guests. Further instructions will be provided by email to graduates and participating faculty about changes to pre-ceremony gathering locations.
Limited Seating & Livestream
Please be advised that due to limited capacity in Spaulding, seating will be limited to two guests per graduate. We strongly encourage families to plan in advance who will attend, as we will be unable to accommodate additional guests on the day of. Guests unable to be seated in Spaulding are encouraged to watch the livestream at designated viewing locations at Thayer School of Engineering.
Parking & Shuttles
Free parking is available at the Emily and Errik Anderson Parking Garage at the Class of 1982 Engineering and Computer Science Center (more info below). Shuttles will run from ECSC to the Hopkins Center for those attending in person. Guests watching the livestream may park at ECSC and will be directed to viewing locations on arrival.
Directions & Parking
Investiture will be held on the Dartmouth Green, located in downtown Hanover. Parking near the Green is limited during Commencement weekend, and guests are strongly advised to park in designated lots. (Directions to West End/ Thayer | campus maps)
Parking at ECSC (Saturday, June 13)
Investiture guests can park for free at the Emily and Errik Anderson Parking Garage, located at the Class of 1982 Engineering and Computer Science Center (ECSC) (15 Thayer Drive, Hanover, NH). Be advised that the garage is free for guests on Saturday only. Overflow parking is available for free in the nearby Channing Cox lot.
From ECSC, the Dartmouth Green is a short 5–8 min. walk and shuttles between West End Circle and the Dartmouth Green will be available for Investiture.
Shuttles to Investiture (Saturday, June 13)
Shuttles will run continuously between West End Circle (near ECSC) and the Dartmouth Green on Saturday. Guests who need accessible accommodations may be dropped off along the edge of the Green before parking. Additional shuttle and accessibility information will be available closer to the event.
Dartmouth Commencement Parking (Friday to Sunday)
Starting 5:00pm on Friday of Commencement Weekend, free parking is available for guests in designated Dartmouth lots. Shuttles are available to various campus locations. Visit Dartmouth's Commencement parking for more information.
Accessibility
Captioning is provided on a jumbotron during the ceremony, and accessible seating is available for guests using wheelchairs. Please contact us in advance to arrange accessible accommodations to help us better support you and all of our guests.
Families and Guests
For Thayer Investiture (Saturday)
Families and guests seeking disability-related accommodations for Investiture can email Holly Wilkinson, Thayer's associate dean for academic and student affairs.
For Dartmouth Commencement (Sunday)
Sunday's Commencement exercises are a significantly larger event than Investiture and require a separate process for accommodations. Please visit Accessibility for Families and Guests for more information.
Graduating Students
Thayer BE, MEng, MEM, MS, or PhD candidates
Thayer graduates seeking disability-related accommodations for Investiture and/ or Commencement should contact the Thayer registrar or call +1 (603) 646-3801.
Dartmouth AB/ BE candidates
Dartmouth undergraduates earning both the AB and BE this year seeking accommodations for Commencement only should contact the Undergraduate Dean's Office. Please visit Dartmouth's Accessibility for Graduating Students for more information.
Photography & Video
Thayer Photos and Video
Photos by our photographers will be available for free download from Thayer's Flickr site during the week following the ceremony. The livestream will be available on our YouTube channel.
GradImages Photos for Purchase
GradImages takes individual photos of every graduate who walks across the stage at Investiture. Visit the GradImages website to view and purchase custom prints, plaques, specialty gifts, and more after the ceremony. Please contact GradImages's customer services department directly at ecc.giservice@gradimages.net or call +1 (800) 261-2576 with any questions or concerns about your photos.