Class Day

Class Day is a College tradition, bringing together students, friends, and family on the day before Convocation. The celebration begins with a reception before a program featuring keynote speaker, student speakers and the presentation of College awards. Melina Hale, dean of the College, invites students and their family members to join this special occasion before attending the Dessert Reception at the Museum of Science and Industry.

Class Day Reception

Friday, June 5, 2026
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Bartlett Quadrangle, 5801 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637
Light refreshments and non-alcoholic beverages will be served to our graduating students and their families.

Class Day Program

Friday, June 5, 2026
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Main Quadrangle, 5801 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637

College Class of 2026 Dessert Reception

Friday, June 5, 2026
7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60637
The College invites all members of the College’s Class of 2026 and their parents and families to join us at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. Parking at the MSI is free for this event and tickets are not required. Enter parking garage from the 57th Street & Cornell Drive entrance.

For questions, please contact College Programming and Orientation at seniors@uchicago.edu.

2026 Class Day Speaker

David Auburn, AB’91, is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and director. His plays include Summer 1976, The Adventures of Augie March, Lost Lake, The Columnist, and Proof. Film work includes The Girl in the Park (writer/director), Georgetown, Proof, and The Lake House. He is Associate Artistic Director at the Berkshire Theatre Group, where he has directed many productions. Other directing credits include Long Day’s Journey into Night (Court, Chicago) and the Off-Broadway world premiere of Michael Weller’s Side Effects. He teaches screenwriting at Columbia University School of the Arts and is a former Guggenheim Fellow.

The UChicago alum will kick off Convocation weekend with a June 5 address to undergraduates on navigating “radical uncertainty.” Learn more →