Tuesday, January, 12th, 2016 Past Programs 2015-16
The President and Chaplains of Tufts University invite members of the Class of 2016 and their families and friends to join in celebrating the Baccalaureate Service on Saturday, May 21, 2016 from 3:00 to 4:00 pm at the Gantcher Family Sports and Convocation Center. All are welcome.
To view the Baccalaureate Service 2016 invitation, please click here.
The Baccalaureate Service for the senior class at Tufts is a tradition that began in 1864.
Baccalaureate is a cherished moment during Commencement Weekend, and the last time for the senior class to be alone together as a class. One senior is selected to give the class speech, called the Wendell Phillips Address, and the president offers his parting words to the class.
The context is a multifaith and multicultural celebration honoring a diversity of spiritualities, philosophies, and cultures at Tufts in the form of music, readings, and benedictions. All are welcome, and generally all members of the senior class and their families attend.
The Senior Baccalaureate Speaker is the recipient of the Wendell Phillips Award, which was established in 1896 to honor Boston’s great orator and advocate for abolition and women’s and Native People’s rights, Wendell Phillips. The award is given annually to a senior who demonstrates both marked ability as a speaker and a high sense of public responsibility. Selected by the Committee on Student Life, the winner is the one graduating senior invited to offer a speech as part of Commencement, and the speech takes place during the Baccalaureate Service. It is intended to deliver a social justice message for our time.
This year’s speaker is Sharad Sagar A16.
Other spiritual gatherings during Commencement Weekend include:
Friday, May 20, 2016
Saturday, May 21, 2016
For more information about our services, please visit https://chaplaincy.tufts.edu.