Commencement Weekend

Guests of the graduates are welcome to attend all Commencement Weekend events.

There is no limit, but please be mindful that seating is first come, first served, especially for Baccalaureate on Friday in the Irvine Memorial Chapel. Commencement will be held at 10 a.m. on the platform between Keil Hall and South Cottage, with the seating area opening at 8 a.m. While we understand the excitement of finding and securing your seats, please allow the time before 8 a.m. for staff to properly prepare for this celebratory event.

Weather permitting, the seniors will graduate on the Commencement Platform (between Keil Hall and South Cottage).

In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony site will be the Hale Field House. 

If anyone in your family has mobility issues or related concerns, we want to help. While all of our spaces are handicap accessible, we can help you plan your time on campus to make the process as easy as possible. Please contact Mercersburg's events team at events@mercersburg.edu or 717-328-6363 to discuss your guest’s needs.

Yes, both ceremonies will be available via livestream, and recordings will be available after the fact. Baccalaureate on Friday, May 24, is available at this link, and the Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 25, is available at this link. If you or a member of your party are feeling unwell for either of these events, please consider staying home and taking advantage of the livestreams.  

For Baccalaureate, please be aware that the chapel is not air-conditioned and can get quite warm. Lightweight fabrics are often helpful in managing the warm conditions. For the Commencement activities on Saturday, please dress appropriately for the weather. The platform is in direct sunlight, so hats, sunglasses, and lightweight fabrics are often helpful. We encourage you to keep an eye on the local weather closer to the date.

We will have a photographer on campus for the Commencement ceremony, and she will be tasked with two things. First, she will get a photo of each student standing on the steps of the graduation platform with the diploma. Second, she will take candid photos of the general experience before, during, and after Commencement. All photos will be uploaded to Vidigami, where parents can select photos and order directly from Vidigami or download and order through another service.

While there is a dinner on campus from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m., students are welcome to go out to dinner with their families, and must return to campus no later than 11 p.m. We request that students who wish to go out to dinner before or after the Baccalaureate service complete a day trip leave request no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, May 24, in their Veracross student portal. Please note "dinner off campus" and list specific transportation plans, including the driver's name and relationship to the student. Students who plan to go to dinner before the Baccalaureate service should be back to line up 30 minutes prior to the service beginning.

While we encourage seniors to return to campus for their final night as a student at Mercersburg Academy, we understand some families may wish to host their senior overnight at their nearby hotels. These requests should be submitted as an overnight leave request no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, May 24, in their Veracross student portal. Please note "overnight off campus" and list specific transportation and lodging plans in the request. Students in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade are not permitted to spend the night off campus on Friday, May 24.

All leave requests should be fully approved prior to the student leaving. As always, when students leave campus, they must do a virtual checkout. Please keep in mind all of our school values and rules apply, including our expectation that there is to be no consumption of alcohol by students during this weekend. Again, we hope you will partner with us in making these special times happy, healthy, and safe.

Prior to departing for the senior trip, all seniors will be required to be mostly packed, with their rooms clean and orderly. A checklist will be provided to guide them in this process. Families have the flexibility to pick up their senior's belongings on Friday or Saturday at the family's convenience around the Baccalaureate service and Commencement ceremony. The senior should be present during the move out process. All seniors should be completely moved out of the dormitories by 2 p.m. on Saturday. Post this deadline, access to the dormitories will no longer be available to our recent graduates.