Class of 2027 Convocation to take place on Franklin Field

Convocation for the Class of 2027 will happen on Franklin Field this fall, changing from its typical location on College Green. 

An email sent to student leaders by Penn President Liz Magill and Provost John Jackson Jr. announced the change in location, citing ongoing campus construction. This year, the ceremony will take place on Aug. 28 at 7:15 p.m. 

Convocation serves as a formal welcome for the incoming class and takes place the day before the first day of classes. The tradition of Convocation in its modern form first began at the University around 1894. It serves as the first — and one of the only — times that an entire Penn class will gather in one place. 

Convocation has been held in different locations throughout Penn’s history, including Irvine Auditorium, the Palestra, and in recent years, on College Green. In 1999, inclement weather caused University officials to move the event to the Philadelphia Civic Center at 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard, where the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine now stands. In 1991, only half the incoming class was present on College Green after many were told the ceremony was to be held an hour late. 

In 2020, Convocation was held online for the first time in Penn’s history, but returned to an in-person format on College Green in 2021. 

In 2022, protestors interrupted Magill’s convocation speech — her first as Penn president. Participants chanted “Save UC Townhomes!” and “Stop Penn-trification!" ending the Class of 2026’s Convocation early. The demonstration was organized by the Coalition to Save the UC Townhomes, a group of residents protesting the sale of 70 units of affordable housing near the University's campus. 

The Class of 2027 will be the first class to have Convocation at Franklin Field in recent memory. The University has not announced if the ceremony will return to College Green in future years.