Undergraduates

The College Alumni Programs Office connects undergraduates and alumni through programming that promotes the sharing of experiences and Harvard traditions. The office develops and coordinates a range of events and social activities for the freshman and senior classes, most notably Freshman Convocation, Senior Week, and Class Day.

The Freshman Convocation

Harvard Convocation 2009 On September 1, 2009, Harvard College inaugurated a new annual tradition of formally welcoming the incoming freshman class. The Class of 2013 experienced the first Freshman Convocation, a celebratory ceremony akin to the ritual pomp and circumstance of Commencement. Alumni marshals and proctors led a colorful procession of students, housemasters, faculty members, and University leaders, many in academic gowns, into Tercentenary Theatre for a program of music, a presidential address, and welcoming remarks from the deans of the College, of freshmen, and of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Class Day Events

The College Alumni Programs Office works closely with the Senior Class Committee to develop and schedule the program of events on Class Day, a traditional and less formal, often humorous ceremony that takes place in Tercentenary Theatre the day before Commencement and includes addresses from seniors and a notable guest speaker. Past Class Day speakers have included Ben Bernanke, Bill Clinton, Bono, Mother Teresa, and Coretta Scott King. View the 2009 Class Day Video Archive...

Learn more about Class Day here: http://www.commencement.harvard.edu/