Institute at Brown for Environment and Society
Commencement Weekend: May 23-25, 2025
Essential information for graduating ENVS seniors
Commencement Weekend: May 23-25, 2025
Essential information for graduating ENVS seniors
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Your Commencement Weekend at a Glance
Friday, May 23
7 – 9 p.m.
Annual IBES Cocktail Party
For Environmental Sciences & Studies alumni and graduating seniors
Urban Environmental Lab (UEL), 135 Angell St
Please join us for a delightful evening of refreshments and camaraderie, where you can reconnect with old friends and talk with students from this year’s graduating class of Environmental Sciences & Studies concentrators.
9 p.m. – midnight
College Green and Simmons Quad
The biggest outdoor party of the year and a decades-old Brown tradition.
Saturday, May 24
11:30 a.m. lineup | 12:15 p.m. procession | 1 p.m. service begins
Procession from College Green to service at First Baptist Church
A multifaith service for graduating seniors.
12:30 p.m. forum | 1:30 p.m. reception
IBES Commencement Forum – The Climate Landscape in 2025: Legal and Policy Responses
85 Waterman St or livestream
The federal landscape of climate law and policy is shifting rapidly. How are experts in public interest law, academia and government navigating these changes, and what legal and policy actions are emerging in response? Hear from a panel of leading voices in climate law and policy for an insightful discussion on the current outlook and evolving strategies. Engage with the panel, ask your questions, and continue the conversation at a post-forum reception hosted by the Institute at Brown for Environment & Society. Forum co-sponsored by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.
Sunday, May 25
9:30 a.m. lineup | 9:45 a.m. procession
University Procession & College Ceremony
From Waterman Street to First Baptist Church
Seniors march through the Van Wickle Gates in this decades-old Brown tradition.
2:30 – 4:45 p.m. (estimate)
IBES Departmental Ceremony
For Environmental Sciences & Studies concentrators and their families
Kasper Multipurpose Room, 75 Waterman Street or via Zoom
Tip for families: Look for the bronze Bruno statue on the Main Green and walk down the adjacent stairs.
Important Departmental Ceremony Info for Seniors
Vegetarian and vegan options, as well as drinks, will be provided at the IBES ENVS ceremony. You’ll have about 30 minutes to grab refreshments before the ceremony starts - so don’t wait! Food will also be available after the event for graduates and guests.
Seniors will be seated in order of announcement. (See seating guide.) Student names will be on chair backs, so make sure you sit in the correct spot. Seniors will not need to check-in before entering the room.
Each student has 4 reserved guest seats. Please have your guests stop by the check-in tables before entering and share this seating guide. (Guests with special arrangements should use this alternate guide.) Please note: Once everyone is checked in, we’ll open remaining seats to others.
This guide gives a detailed schedule of the ceremony, including order of announced degrees.
Diploma covers will be conferred by ENVS tracks. Please see specific line-up instructions within the Program Guide for Students. When your group is announced, please gather by the stairs to wait for your name to be called. Please be mindful of those preceding you and try to keep noise to a minimum when you line up
Single-use, all-gender restrooms are located down the hall behind the catering tables: two on the main floor, one upstairs.
On-street parking restrictions May 23 - 25
PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO OVERNIGHT STREET PARKING IN PROVIDENCE WITHOUT A PERMIT.
Brown University's Commencement activities will be held between Friday, May 23 and Sunday, May 25. STREET CLOSINGS and NO PARKING restrictions will be in effect during this period.
- Visit the DPS parking restrictions web page for information on street closures during commencement weekend.
- The commencement website has a page providing general parking guidance for guests.
Watch live: 2025 ENVS Diploma Ceremony
Tune in on Sunday, May 25 (estimated start 2:30 pm EST) as our Environmental Sciences and Studies graduates cross the stage and mark this milestone together.