All the Commencement Details for Class of 20 and Class of 21

The time has nearly arrived to celebrate Roanoke College graduates! The College is ready for in-person ceremonies for Commencement, Baccalaureate and Leave your Mark celebrations for the graduates, along with live streams to allow friends and family to follow the action from across the country.  

All live streams can be viewed at roanoke.edu/commencement.  

Four guests are allowed for each graduate at Commencement ceremonies. Baccalaureate and Leave your Mark events are for graduates only and RSVPs are requested. Follow the links below for specifics on each event.  

Baccalaureate is a service of blessing, led by Chaplain Chris Bowen, Timothy L. Pickle Dean of the Chapel.  

The Office of Alumni and Family Relations along with President and Mrs. Maxey are sponsoring the annual Leave your Mark event to allow graduates to gather and to burn their names in the wooden bookcases in the President’s House. The traditional Leave your Mark event will be held outside on campus this year and graduates are asked to sign up for a time to burn their name into the bookcases.  

A virtual scavenger hunt, sponsored by the Alumni Office, is also underway now. Graduates do not need to be in Salem to participate so check it out now.  

Class of 2020 events 

The Class of 2020 is comprised of 428 graduates from 30 states and five countries. The top majors are business administration, biology, communication studies, sociology, and health and exercise science. Two hundred and fifteen graduates earned the Bachelor of Arts, 80 obtained the Bachelor of Business Administration and 133 earned the Bachelor of Science.   

• Virtual Scavenger Hunt for Class of 2020 is happening now.  
• The Class of 2020 Baccalaureate is scheduled for Friday, May 21, at 6 p.m. at the Cregger Center Arena for the 2020 graduates only. Baccalaureate for the Class of 2020 will be live streamed here.  
• Leave Your Mark 2020 will happen on Friday, May 21, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the Back Quad. Graduates are asked to sign up for specific times to burn their name into the bookcases. Time slots begin Friday morning, with limited slots available Saturday afternoon for graduates unable to come to Salem prior to Commencement.  
• Legacy Photos  - Legacy families are those that have generations of family members who are Roanoke College alumni. This event will happen on Saturday, May 22, at 8 a.m. Graduates are asked to sign up for an appointment time to have their picture taken.   

• The 2020 Commencement is in-person on Saturday, May 22, at 10 a.m. at the Salem Football Stadium. Four guests per graduate and guests should already be registered, per deadlines shared by email.  

Live streams can be viewed at roanoke.edu/commencementlivestream. 

Class of 2021 events 

The Class of 2021 is comprised of approximately 423 graduates from 30 states and eight countries. Top majors (in order) are business administration, psychology, biology, health and exercise science, and communication studies. Two hundred and twenty-one graduates will earn the Bachelor of Arts degree, 68 will receive the Bachelor of Business Administration, and 134 will obtain the Bachelor of Science degree.  

• Virtual Scavenger Hunt for Class of 2021 is happening now. 
• The Senior Send-off 2021 Picnic will occur Wednesday, May 26, on the Maroon Athletic Quad with two shifts (2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.). Graduates need to sign up for one of these time slots.  
• The Class of 2021 Baccalaureate will occur Thursday, May 27, at 5 p.m. at the Cregger Center Arena for the 2021 graduates only. Baccalaureate for the Class of 2021 will be live streamed here.   
• Leave Your Mark 2021 will happen on Thursday, May 20, with two shifts (5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.) on the Back Quad. Graduates are asked to sign up for one of the Leave Your Mark events as well as for specific times to burn their name into the bookcases. Time slots to burn names begin Monday morning and continue through Friday afternoon.  
• The Office of Multicultural Affairs Sash Ceremony for 2021 will be held on Friday, May 28, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Wortmann Ballroom for invited graduates only. Live Stream begins at 11:30 a.m. for family and friends at roanoke.edu/commencementlivestream.  
• Legacy Photos – Legacy families are those that have generations of family members who are Roanoke College alumni. This event will happen on Saturday, May 29, at 8 a.m. Graduates are asked to sign up for a specific time to get their photo taken. 
• The 2021 Commencement is in-person on Saturday, May 29, at 10 a.m. at the Salem Football Stadium. Four guests per graduate and guests should already be registered, per deadlines shared by email.  

Live streams can be viewed at roanoke.edu/commencementlivestream.