Convocation
Thursday, Aug. 20 | 3:30 p.m.
Alumni Sports & Fitness Center
929 Harrisburg Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603
A convocation from the Latin word convocare or "to call/come together" is generally known by U.S. colleges and universities as a gathering to start the academic year.
Franklin & Marshall College continues this established tradition of honoring the incoming class of students and has celebrated the beginning of the student’s academic careers. The all-College Convocation Ceremony embraces the former purpose of Convocation and serves as an opportunity for the entire College Community to observe formally the opening of the academic year.
Watch the Recorded Ceremony
A recording of the ceremony is available on YouTube.
Convocation Celebration and First-Year Welcome
Class of 2030 and Incoming Transfer Students
Order of Events
Procession
President’s Platform Party and Members of the Franklin & Marshall College Faculty
COME: Invitation and Welcome
Rodney Morrison | Vice President for Enrollment Management
STAY: Belonging and Connection
Ibrahim Bin Amjad ’27 | Student Body and Diplomatic Congress President
THRIVE: Curiosity & Achievement
Sunita Kramer ’92 | Provost and Dean of the Faculty
2026 Academic Awards
Franklin & Marshall College Distinguished Award for Teaching
Barbara Nimersheim I Professor of Mathematics
Bradley R. Dewey Award for Outstanding Scholarship
Stephen Medvic | The Honorable and Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor
Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching
Christina Weaver | Carmie L. and Beatrice J. Creitz Professor of Mathematics
Convocation Address
Christina Weaver | Carmie L. and Beatrice J. Creitz Professor of Mathematics
SUCCEED: Purpose and Leadership
Andrew Rich | President of the College
Celebration and Closing
Drew Stelljes | Vice President for Student Affairs
Convocation Marshals
College Marshal
Jaime Blair | Professor of Biology
Faculty Marshals
Daniel Ardia | Associate Dean of the Faculty and Charles A. Dana Professor of Biology
Jon Stone | Associate Dean of the Faculty, Professor of Russian
Student Marshals
Jenn Nell | Director of Student Success
Jessica Haile | Assistant Dean for International Student Services
Bob Mikus | Dean of Students
Sue Mennicke | Associate Dean of International Initiatives
Stephanie McConnell | Executive Director of Career & Community Development
Sarah Esh | Assistant Registrar
Student Senior Marshals
Ibrahim Bin Amjad ’27
Kylie Henigan ’27
*Audience if able, is invited to stand.
College Houses
College House Statement
In 2005, Franklin & Marshall College’s faculty and trustees endorsed the establishment of the faculty-led College House residential system to enrich the academic and social opportunities for our students. With the creation of the College Houses, Franklin & Marshall College began the most significant and exciting change in student residential life in 40 years. College Houses are intended to provide a comfortable crossroads for faculty, students, distinguished visitors and alumni/ae under the leadership of faculty dons. The Houses and their Commons constitute a “third space” on campus, neither classroom nor residential hall, that reflects the interconnected elements essential for a liberal arts education.
The College Houses provide facilities and support for faculty to create programs and events that enrich their students’ intellectual experiences and bring students and faculty together outside of formal classroom activities. House governments provide training in leadership and management rarely available to undergraduates. Students manage their own social programming budgets and are fully responsible for planning, organizing and funding a wide range of social activities within the Houses. Today, at Convocation, students will sit with members of their College Houses to emphasize the important role these residential communities will play in their educational experiences.
First-Year College Houses
Bonchek College House
Marco Di Giulio | Professor of Hebrew Language and Literature and Public Health, Bonchek College House Don
Tommy Nevin | Bonchek College House Director
Brooks College House
Alexis Q. Castor | Shirley Watkins Steinman Professor of Classics, Department Chair of Classics, Brooks College House Don
Jake Murray | Brooks College House Director
Ware College House
Kabi Hartman | Director of the Program in Support of Academic Excellence and Senior Teaching Professor of English, Ware College House Don
Mckenzie DuBois | Ware College House Director
Traditions and Symbols
The College Mace
The maple and poplar College Mace was designed by Professor Edmund Whiting, chair of the Department of Art at Franklin & Marshall College, in 1967–68 and created by J.E. Brubaker Pattern Works, formerly of Landisville, Pa. The mace is a replica of the four-spired tower of Old Main, one of the oldest buildings on campus.
Inside the mace is a piece of an oak beam taken from the North Queen Street building where Franklin College established its quarters in 1788, less than a year after its founding. Since it was presented to the College by the Alumni Association at Franklin & Marshall’s 189th Commencement on Sunday, June 11, 1967, the mace has become an official emblem of the College at ceremonial events.
Academic Dress
The caps, gowns and hoods worn in the academic procession represent a tradition that dates to the early days of the oldest universities. The apparel worn today by faculty, trustees and administrators resembles the attire of the day when major European universities were founded. In fact, gowns and hoods probably were necessary for warmth in the unheated buildings frequented by medieval scholars.
The mortarboard cap was first used in 16th-century England and may have been patterned after the quadrangular shape of the Oxford campus. At Franklin & Marshall, graduates wear black mortarboard tassels, except holders of the doctoral degree, who may wear gold tassels. The hood usually provides the best clue to a scholar’s discipline. The color of the velvet bands on each hood and robe represents a scholar’s field of learning.
The official colors of the school awarding the degree are always shown in the lining of the hood and sometimes by the distinctive color of the gown. The colors for academic fields, established by the American Council on Education, include: White for Arts, Letters and Humanities; Scarlet for Theology or Divinity; Drab for Business Administration, Commerce and Accountancy; Copper for Economics; Light Blue for Education; Brown for Fine Arts; Purple for Law; Lemon for Library Science; Green for Medicine; Silver Gray for Oratory; Dark Blue for Philosophy; Sage Green for Physical Education; Gold-Yellow for Science; Citron for Social Science; and Pink for Music.
The College Medallion: A Symbol of Leadership
The College Medallion is the primary symbol of the President’s role as the institutional leader. Featuring the official Seal of the College and the motto “Lux et Lex,” the medallion represents the community’s trust in the President to carry forward the mission of the College – with respect for the institution’s history, with purpose to meet the present moment, and with aspiration for a strong future.
Established in June 1957 for the inauguration of Dr. Frederick deWolfe Bolman, Jr., the silver medallion was conceived by Dean "Mac" Darlington and has served as a physical representation of the office during formal academic occasions since its inception.
Alma Mater
