The Ford School will be celebrating the graduating Classes of 2022 on Saturday, April 30 at 4:30 p.m. at an outdoor commencement ceremony at the iconic Elbel Field.
Just down the road from Weill Hall at the corner of S. Division and Hill, Elbel Field has been the practice field for the U‑M Marching Band for decades. Named after Louis Elbel, author of “The Victors,” it will be a particularly fitting venue to celebrate the accomplishments of the Ford School’s 2022 graduates.
We’re proud to be one of three schools on campus that have partnered to hold our respective ceremonies at Elbel Field this year, and we’re grateful to our partners at the School of Public Health and SEAS. Together, we’ll build a temporary 2,000+ seat venue with accessible flooring and a stage on the grassy part of Elbel, just south of the marching band’s field, and we’ll have use of the Coliseum across Hill Street for staging graduates. This space has the benefit of ample parking, as well.
While the Ford School Commencement Ceremony has traditionally been held at Rackham Auditorium, this outdoor alternative will allow our graduates to invite their families to attend without capacity limits. No ticketing will be required for our ceremony, and it will also be live-streamed for remote viewers.
As always, faculty and staff are very much invited and encouraged to attend Commencement. RSVP information will be sent out soon.
As announced earlier this term, our 2022 Commencement Speaker will be the dynamic writer, climate activist, and indigenous leader Julian Brave NoiseCat. A brilliant thinker who works at the intersection of climate journalism and advocacy for indigenous rights, he’ll be an inspiring, eye-opening keynote speaker for our graduates and our whole community.
Immediately following the ceremony, all graduates and their guests, faculty, and staff are invited to attend a celebratory gathering at Weill Hall, from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Graduates, please continue to monitor your email for more information about the commencement ceremony from Jordan Long in Student & Academic Services. There is also helpful information in our FAQ document, which we will continue to update as we receive questions from our community. Students, if you have questions or concerns related to graduation, please reach out to Jordan Long (Academic Advisor) at [email protected]. Faculty and staff, please reach out to the Ford School events team at [email protected].
Best wishes to all of our graduates as they finish up their final semester at Michigan. We are very much looking forward to celebrating you and your accomplishments this year for our first in-person commencement ceremony since 2019.