Perkins’ May 14 Celebration of Degrees and Academic Achievements will be livestreamed at 2 p.m. CST via webcast at https://online.brushfire.com/hpumc/events
May is a bittersweet month – when the Perkins community says farewell to graduates as they embark on new beginnings. Perkins School of Theology will honor graduating seniors with a variety of events this year, culminating on Saturday, May 14 with the university-wide Commencement Convocation and Perkins’ Celebration of Degrees and Academic Achievements.
Ninety-five students are scheduled to receive their SMU diplomas from Perkins, including eight December graduates, 77 May graduates and 10 summer graduates.
The series of graduation events begins with a Sending Forth Service on Thursday, May 5 at 11:30 a.m. in Perkins Chapel. Preaching at this Service of Word and Table will be Dr. Abraham Smith, Professor of New Testament at Perkins. With the sending forth ritual – an extended benediction at the end of the service– participants will mark the variety of passages that regularly occur at the end of the spring term: graduation, the beginning of internship, retirement, and others. This service will be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax5ZG_LGtG8. Community lunch “on the grounds” will be served after worship has concluded. All are welcome.
On Friday, May 13, there will be two events for graduating seniors and their guests: the Senior Class Worship at 5 p.m., in Perkins Chapel, and the Senior Class Dinner at 6:30 p.m. at Highland Park UMC’s Tolleson Family Activity Center at 5817 Hillcrest, Dallas, Texas. Reservations are required.
Graduation Day is Saturday, May 14, with the 107th University-wide Commencement Convocation taking place at 9 a.m. at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Commencement speaker is Grant Moise, publisher and president of The Dallas Morning News. The event, which will be livestreamed at smu.edu/live, will assemble degree candidates from all of SMU’s schools and professional programs. Commencement speakers will offer their congratulations to the newest class of graduates and SMU President R. Gerald Turner will confer degrees. Guests do not need tickets for commencement, but all candidates must have an entry ticket to participate in the morning ceremony. Seating is general admission and first come, first served. For more details, visit Request Commencement Tickets.
Following the commencement, Come & Go Box Lunches will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Refectory in Prothro Hall. This event is open to Perkins graduates, families, students, faculty, and staff. Reservations are required.
A Senior Class Photo will be taken at 12:45 p.m. on the steps of Perkins Chapel.
The Celebration of Degrees and Academic Achievements takes place at 2 p.m. in Highland Park UMC’s sanctuary. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson, president of Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., will preach.
Note that the sanctuary is typically very crowded for this program; doors open at 1 p.m. There is no limit on the number of guests that graduates may invite. This program will be livestreamed via webcast at https://online.brushfire.com/hpumc/events
Immediately following the presentation of diplomas during the Celebration of Degrees and Academic Achievements, a reception for Perkins graduates will take place at 3:30 p.m. in Arden Forest outside Prothro Hall. The reception is free for graduates and their guests, as well as Perkins faculty, staff and students. In case of rain, the reception will be in the Great Hall.
Click here for more information about SMU Commencement. For a map of the SMU campus, visit smu.edu/maps.