UMass Dartmouth commencement and baccalaureate service records

The first UMass Dartmouth graduation exercises were held in 1901 when its predecessor school, the New Bedford Textile School (NBTS), graduated 10 day students and 92 evening students. NBTS actually graduated its first class of students (3 day and 36 night) in 1900 after instruction commenced October 16, 1899, but there does not appear to have been any formal awarding of diplomas and certificates (see Board of Trustees records URC 1, volume 1, page 46). The first official graduation exercises at the other predecessor school, the Bradford Durfee Textile School, took place in June, 1906. The school graduated its first group of students the previous year, after it opened its doors in the fall of 1904.

Since 1966 all UMass Dartmouth commencements have taken place on the North Dartmouth campus, and between 1973 and 2016, in the Vietnam Veteran’s Peace Memorial Amphitheatre (with the Gymnasium as the alternative site in case of rain). At least as far back as 1964 the Commencement Committee has been charged with planning the event and recommending speakers and Honorary Degree candidates. Up until 1995 this committee consisted of students, staff, faculty members and one trustee. Between 1977 and 1995 a separate subcommittee of the Commencement Committee, the Honorary Degree Sub-committee, has been charged to choose the latter, which were approved for invitation by the Southeastern Massachusetts University (SMU) Board of Trustees. With the reorganization of the Massachusetts University system in 1992, and dissolution of the SMU Board of Trustees, both the Commencement Committee and the Honorary Degree Committees were left with no clear line of reporting. Therefore, effective with the planning committee for the 1996 Commencement, both came under the umbrella of the Faculty Senate. The current makeup of the committees are as follows: Commencement Committee (6 faculty, the senior class officers and representatives of Facilities, Auxiliary Services, Publications, University Records, Budget, Alumni Affairs, and Security); Honorary Degree Committee (6 faculty, 3 students and 3 administrators). For many years, both the commencement and the baccalaureate service, a religious service, took place on a Sunday two weeks after the end of finals; the commencement in the afternoon and the baccalaureate in the morning. Over the years, it has moved to a few days after the end of finals. It has grown in size exponetially, resulting in separate ceremonies for individual colleges. In 2017 and 2018 it moved to another venue entirely (The Xfinity Center), but moved back to campus again in 2019.