Graduation information
Saturday, May 8, 2021
10 a.m.
Salzman Stadium
Each graduate will receive up to two printed tickets for their guests through campus mail or mailed to their permanent address. Guests MUST have a ticket in order to enter the event. RSVPs are due by April 23. The event will be livestreamed for all family and friends.
If you have questions, please contact Claire Clay at clayc@bluffton.edu.
- Graduate RSVP
- Plans to ensure social distancing
- Parking map pdf
- Commencement will be livestreamed for those unable to attend.
Schedule
| 8-9 a.m. | Graduates arrive on campus and check-in. Graduates will be assigned staggered arrival times to manage capacity at check-in. |
| 9:15 a.m. | Graduates arrive to Sommer Center. You will have the opportunity to take a formal photo and then will line up with classmates to process to Salzman Stadium. |
| 9:30 a.m. | Stadium gate opens for guests. Seating is first come, first served; however, guests must adhere to the designating seating areas to ensure safe social distancing practices. |
| 10 a.m. | Ceremony begins |
| 12:30 p.m. | Stadium closes |
Arrival and parking
Graduates will be required to wear a facial covering (mask or face shield) while on campus.
Specific arrival times and locations will be announced later.
Photos
Graduates will have the opportunity to take a formal graduation photo in Sommer Center.
Graduates will also have their photo taken with President Wood while on staging receiving
their diploma. Please be sure to look for the professional photographer in front of
the stage!
Parking
Parking will be available in the lots near the stadium (parking map). When you arrive on campus, please remain in your car until a staff member comes to
welcome you into the stadium. This allows us to maintain a smaller number of people gathered in one area at a time.
If you need accessible parking, you may use these lots or the small lot on the north
end of the stadium, just off Augsburger Road.
Entering the stadium
The entrance to the stadium opens at 9:30 a.m. Guests should remain in their cars
until a staff member releases them to the gate. Printed tickets MUST be presented to enter the stadium. No exceptions. The entrance will be closed at 10:15 a.m. Please follow directional signs and directions
given by staff as this will help us maintain social distancing protocols.
Safety precautions
This ceremony will take place outside where temperatures can reach up to or higher
than 90 degrees. This ceremony will take place rain or shine unless serious inclement weather deems
the location unsafe. Guests are welcome to bring umbrellas for use in the stadium.
All guests will be required to wear a facial covering (mask or face shield) while on campus.
If you have questions about Commencement, please contact Claire Clay at clayc@bluffton.edu.
Safety guidelines
Please note that in order to hold in-person commencement services, the university must take the following safety precautions in accordance with guidelines set by the Governor of Ohio, and in collaboration with the Allen County Department of Health.
Allen County, Ohio, is a Level 3 (Red) county per Governor Mike DeWine’s Ohio Public Health Advisory System. This means Bluffton University falls under a health order with specific guidelines we must follow while in public spaces.
All graduates and guests are REQUIRED to wear a facial covering (mask or shield) while on campus.
- All faculty and staff will be required to perform a symptom assessment prior to arriving on campus
- All graduates and guests will be encouraged to perform a symptom assessment prior to arriving on campus
- All faculty and staff will be required to wear facial coverings
Please note: family members living in the same household are not required to social distance from each other - Salzman Stadium will close immediately after the conclusion of the ceremony to limit congregation
Reservations
This form should be submitted by the graduate.