Assumption commencement 2023

Recognizing the Class of 2024

Assumption University will celebrate the academic achievements of the Class of 2024 on Sunday, May 12th and Saturday, May 18th. 

Schedule of Events:

Baccalaureate Mass for All Students: Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 5 p.m., Plourde Center on the Assumption University Campus. A reception will follow in the Laska Gymnasium. All graduate and undergraduate students, family, friends, and guests of the graduates are invited to attend both the Mass and reception.

Commencement Exercises (Undergraduates Only):   Sunday May 12, 2024, 10:00AM at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA.

Graduate School Commencement Exercises:  Saturday May 18, 2024, 10:00AM, Plourde Recreation Center, Assumption University Campus. 

This webpage will be updated as additional information is made available. Please see the tabs below, especially the Frequently Asked Questions for more details.

Celebrating the Conclusion of Your Journey at Assumption

Commencement is the culmination of your four years of study and work. The education that you have received will continue to nurture you and impact you throughout your life.

Critical intelligence will allow you to reason carefully, to recognize the complexities and paradoxes of the human condition and to recognize that you should not accept everything you hear or read at face value, that there are different sides to consider in every situation, and that the goal is to arrive at the truth. Thoughtful citizenship will require you to speak and act with wisdom, engaging in your civic responsibilities in a way that will advocate for the vulnerable in our society, keeping at the forefront the dignity of all human persons.  Compassionate service will distinguish you as an Assumption graduate – an individual with a burning desire to take what you have learned to contribute to the common good. 

Our society today needs individuals such as yourself who have developed a moral and ethical framework grounded in a Catholic worldview, who understand that policies, decisions, and actions devoid of values have negative consequences which will be detrimental to the common good.

Photos: Undergraduate Commencement 2023

Assumption University Class of 2023 Commencement

Photos: Graduate Commencement 2023

5.13.2023 - Graduate Commencement

Class of 2024

  • The Baccalaureate Mass will be Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 5 p.m. in the Plourde Center on the Assumption University Campus. A reception will follow in the Laska Gymnasium.

    The Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony will be held at the DCU Center, 50 Foster Street, Worcester, at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 12, 2024. Doors open at 9 a.m. Tickets are not required for the Ceremony and seating is first come, first served.

    Graduate School Commencement Exercises, Saturday May 18, 2024 at 10:00 in the Plourde Recreation Center, Assumption University Campus (additional details to follow)

  • An announcement of this year’s speakers and honorees will be made soon.

  •  

    A livestream for all ceremonies will be made available on Assumption University’s website and Facebook page.

     

  • Diplomas will be presented at the ceremonies on May 12  and 18 respectively.
     

  • Are tickets required for the Mass or the Commencement Ceremony?
    Tickets are not required for either event; attendance at the Baccalaureate Mass is not required for students, but seating is more limited than the Commencement Ceremony.

    What time does the Commencement Ceremony begin?
    The student procession begins are 10 a.m. sharp and the doors to the DCU center will open at 9 a.m.

    How long does the Commencement Ceremony last?
    The length of the ceremony is approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

    Outside Food and guest bags and balloons:
    No outside food, flowers or balloons are permitted in the DCU Center per management. Please know that concessions will be open. Guest bags, flowers and balloons are not allowed; please see a list of building policies here.

    Is there a reception following the Ceremony?
    The University will host formal reception after the Baccalaureate Mass, but not after the Commencement so graduates and their families can spend time together celebrating their son or daughter’s accomplishments.

    Is there a Commencement Photographer?
    Yes, the University has contracted with Grad Images, Inc., to take close-up photos of each individual graduate as he/she receives his/her diploma. There will be two different photography shots taken of each student during the ceremony; one as they receive their diploma (action shot) and one as they exit the stage with diploma in hand (posed shot).

    Commencement Photos, Inc. will contact each student at his/her home address regarding the ordering and purchasing of the photos.  Please allow 1-2 weeks for processing before proofs of the May 11th event are available.

    If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Grad Images at (800) 261-2576; again please allow 1-2 weeks after the event date for initial processing.

    Parents, family, and friends will be allowed to take pictures only from their seats and will not be allowed access to the arena floor during the ceremony to maintain the dignity of the ceremony.

    Commencement Video 
    A live stream will be available on the University website.

    Is handicapped seating available at Commencement? 
    The DCU Center has designated areas for those using wheelchairs as well as other rows designated for those with mobility issues.  DCU ushers will to assist those with these needs.

    Is there reserved Handicap Parking?
    HDCP parking for vehicles with official placards/plates is available directly adjacent to the DCU Center.

    Where can I buy refreshments and snacks?
    Concession areas will be open at the DCU Center during the Commencement ceremony.

    Where can I buy Assumption University gifts and souvenirs?
    CORRECTION: The bookstore will NOT be open on Sunday, May 11th and items will not be available DCU Center. However, you may shop for items online at:  https://assumption.bncollege.com/Gifts-for-Grads/c/gifts-for-grad.

    Flower bouquets 
    Flowers will be available for sale at the DCU during the ceremony. Please know that all flowers must be purchased at the DCU; they will not permit flowers from outside.

    Additional Questions?
    Please contact acad.eventsoffice@assumption.edu

  • Are tickets required for the Mass or the Commencement Ceremony?
    Tickets are not required for either event; attendance at the Baccalaureate Mass is not required for students, but seating is more limited than the Commencement Ceremony.

    What time does the Commencement Ceremony begin?
    The student procession begins are 10 a.m. sharp and the doors to the Plourde Center will open at 9 a.m.

    Graduate Students will receive a detailed email prior to the event with information on arrival time and location, as well as parking.

    How long does the Commencement Ceremony last?
    The length of the ceremony is approximately  1 ½ to 2 hours

    Is there a reception following the Ceremony?
    A reception for the Graduate School will take place immediately following the ceremony, the reception will take place in the Ballroom of the Tsotsis Family Academic Center.

    Will there be Sign Language interpreter at Commencement?
    Yes, if you or a family member will require these services, please contact acad.eventsoffice@assumption.edu

    Is there a Commencement Photographer?
    Yes, the University has contracted with Grad Images, Inc., to take close-up photos of each individual graduate as he/she receives his/her diploma. There will be two different photography shots taken of each student during the ceremony; one as they receive their diploma (action shot) and one as they exit the stage with diploma in hand (posed shot).

    Commencement Photos, Inc. will contact each student at his/her home address regarding the ordering and purchasing of the photos.  Please allow 1-2 weeks for processing before proofs of the May 18th event are available.

    If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Grad Images at (800) 261-2576; again please allow 1-2 weeks after the event date for initial processing.

    Parents, family, and friends will be allowed to take pictures only from their seats and will not be allowed access to the arena floor during the ceremony to maintain the dignity of the ceremony.

    Commencement Video 
    A live stream will be available on the University website.

Prior Assumption Commencements


“What would you have advocated? What would you have done?”

Pulitzer Prize-winning and nationally syndicated Washington Post columnist George F. Will, Ph.D., delivered what he called the “last Assumption lecture for which you will be a captive audience” to the Class of 2021 graduates on Sunday, May 9. Will urged the graduates to live in the present while also imagining the past. 


“It may sound simple enough … but to be truly free is not a simple matter,”

After a year of waiting due to gathering restrictions imposed by the Commonwealth, Assumption recognized the Class of 2020 during a combined Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 15. The Class of 2020, who received their diplomas last year after a virtual Conferral of Degrees ceremony, is the last to graduate under the name Assumption College as the institution transitioned to a University last summer. 


“Influence others to greatness and lead with your soul”

Before a crowd of thousands, Robert Lewis Jr., chief executive officer of The BASE, a Boston-based nonprofit that provides athletic, education and career-building resources to enable student-athletes to pursue a university degree, shared his life story of struggle and achievement and inspired the Class of 2019 to live a life of meaning during the University’s 102nd Commencement exercises on Sunday, May 12, at the DCU Center in downtown Worcester.


“The satisfaction of the restless heart is in God.”

The Most Reverend Robert E. Barron, S.T.D. auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles addressed members of Assumption University’s Class of 2018 imploring them to find and fill their lives with love, for with love at the center of one’s life, one will use their acquired power and wealth in service to others in need.

Past Commencements

  • 2023

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient (Doctor of Letters): Curtis Martin, the founder of FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students

    2022

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient (Doctor of Letters): Larry Lucchino, Chairman of the Board, Worcester Red Sox

    Honorary Degree Recipient (Doctor of Letters): Francisca “Paqui” Kelly, Wendy M. Wright, Ph. D., Francesco C. Cesareo, Ph. D., and Filomena P. Cesareo, Esquire, J.D.

    2021

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient (Doctor of Law): George F. Will, Pulitzer Prize-winning and nationally syndicated Washington Post columnist

    Honorary Degree Recipient (Doctor of Letters): Vincent Strully, Jr., Founder and CEO New England Center for Children

    2020

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient (Doctor of Letters): Robert Royal, Ph.D., founder and president of the Faith & Reason Institute and editor-in-chief of The Catholic Thing

    Honorary Degree Recipient (Doctor of Letters): Kenneth J. Bates G’90, president and chief executive officer of Open Sky Community Services

    Honorary Degree Recipient (Doctor of Law): James T. Brett, president and chief executive officer of The New England Council

    2019

    Commencement Speaker: Robert Lewis, Jr., chief executive officer of The BASE

    2018

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient: His Excellency, Most. Rev. Robert Barron, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

    Honorary Degree Recipients: John Agresto, Ph.D., the former president of St. John’s College, and Judith Beck, Ph.D. co-founder of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy.

    2017

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient: John L. Allen, Jr., editor of Crux, and senior Vatican analyst for CNN.

    Honorary Degree Recipients: Mary Lou Jennings, executive director of the Sister Thea Bowman Black Catholic Educational Foundation; Roberta Schaefer, Ph.D., founder and first executive director of the Worcester Regional Research Bureau.

    2016

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree RecipientDr. Carolyn Woo, CEO of Catholic Relief Services.

    Honorary Degree RecipientsDr. James O’Connell, founding physician, and now president, of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program; Dr. Fred Bayon ’65, a member of the University’s Board of Trustees for 31 years; and Michael Tsotsis ’71, a member of the University’s Board of Trustees for 21 years.

    2015

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient: Major General Robert Catalanotti (Ret.) ’80
    Honorary Degree Recipient: Terrence W. Macy ‘70, Ph.D. former commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services (DDS)

    2014

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient: Attorney and humanitarian Frances X. Hogan

    Honorary Degree Recipients: Janice “Jan” L. Fuller P’92 and Mark W. Fuller P’92the Very Reverend Benoît Grière, A.A, Dr. Paul Carpentier, MD, CFCMC ’82

    2013

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient: Richard DesLauriers ’82, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Division
    Honorary Degree Recipients: Stephen F. Knott ’79, professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College; Raymond Lauring, friend and supporter of Assumption University, retired president of Lauring Construction

    2012

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient: Brian Kelly ’83; head football coach for the University of Notre Dame
    Honorary Degree Recipients: The Most Rev. Robert J. McManus, bishop of Worcester; Maurice “Moe” Boisvert ’66, president of Youth Opportunities Upheld Inc. (YOU Inc.); and James Welu, director emeritus of Worcester Art Museum

    2011

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient: Rwandan Genocide Survivor and AuthorImmaculée Ilibagiza
    Honorary Degree Recipients: Medical doctor, missionary and director of the NPH St. Damien Hospital in Haiti, Fr. Richard Frechette, C.P., D.O. ’74Thomas Walsh, M.D. ’74, researcher, physician and director of Transplantation-Oncology Infectious Diseases Program; Susan Woodbury, chair of the board of the George I. Alden Trust

    2010

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient: Richard Lamoureux, A.A. ‘64, superior general of the Assumptionists
    Honorary Degree Recipients: Francis R. Carroll, chairman and chief executive officer of the Small Business Service Bureau; civic leaders Donald D’Amour ’64 and Michele D’Amour

    2009

    Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient: Anne Lynam Goddard, president and CEO of the Christian Children’s Fund
    Honorary Degree Recipients: Edmund D. Pellegrino, M.D., the John Carroll Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center; Rev. James V. Schall, S.J., professor of government at Georgetown University