Baccalaureate

The 2018 Baccalaureate service will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, May 18, on Samuel Mather lawn. The speaker will be Sarah Heidt associate professor of English.

History of Kenyon's Baccalaureate

Baccalaureate is historically a worship service at which a sermon is preached for the graduating class. During much of its history as an Episcopal college, Kenyon held the Baccalaureate service in the chapel according to the forms set forth in the Book of Common Prayer and featuring a prominent member of the clergy as a preacher. In recent years, the College's custom has been to expand this venerable ceremony in ways that highlight Kenyon's academic mission and make the occasion accessible to the broader College community.

As with Opening Convocation and Commencement, the Baccalaureate procession lines up on either side of Middle Path between the Marriott Park Gates and the Church of the Holy Spirit.

To accommodate the growing number of graduates and family members over the years, the ceremony has moved to an outdoor setting. Academic and spiritual texts and chosen and read by a few select seniors to represent an aspect of their particular fields of study or to speak on behalf of communities of faith at Kenyon. In place of a sermon, an address is given by a representative of the College who has been selected by a vote of the graduating class. The invocation and benediction, which call to mind the historic purpose of Baccalaureate, are carefully framed by the participating religious leaders to reflect Kenyon's commitment to being an open and inclusive community.

2017 Baccalaureate

The 2017 Baccalaureate speaker was Ivonne García, associate provost and associate professor of English. Read a transcript of Professor García's speech.

2016 Baccalaureate

The 2016 Baccalaureate speaker was Mike Durham, substance abuse educator and counselor at Kenyon. Read Mike Durham's remarks or watch Mike Durham's talk online.

2015 Baccalaureate

The 2015 Baccalaureate speaker was Kenyon's Donald L. Rogan Professor of Religious Studies Royal Rhodes. Watch Professor Rhodes' talk online.

2014 Baccalaureate

The 2014 Baccalaureate speaker was Associate Professor of Economics Jay Corrigan. Read Professor Corrigan's remarks or watch Professor Corrigan's talk online.