Commencement 2023
American International College’s 138th Commencement
ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at 10:00 am EST
at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA.
Doors open to graduating students at 8:00 am, please plan to arrive no later than 9:00 am.
Guests will be welcomed at 9:00 am. Please see below for detailed information on parking and transportation. More information about the Mass Mutual Center can be found on their website.
Graduating students: Visit the Commencement page on MyAIC for information about completing the Grad App, upcoming events to celebrate your big day, and the most up-to-date details about Commencement 2023.
AIC President Hubert Benitez, who recently celebrated his first year at the College, will preside over the ceremony, which will feature Congressman Richard E. Neal as the keynote speaker, and retired NBA star Travis Best as the honorary degree recipient. Neal, an AIC alumnus, currently serves as the Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee and will deliver the address to the graduating class of 2023. Best, who hails from Springfield, will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of his humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to society, particularly through his Travis Best Foundation.
Parking and Shuttle Service
On the day of Commencement, the City of Springfield will be hosting the “World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast” directly in front of the Mass Mutual Center on Main Street from 8am – 11am. Springfield anticipates up to 20,000 people to attend the pancake breakfast during that 3-hour window, which will cause a considerable amount of congestion and lack of parking downtown.
Buses Between AIC & Mass Mutual Center
We anticipate the MGM parking lot will fill up quickly, so we will be running buses between AIC and the Mass Mutual Center Saturday morning. We encourage students, families, and AIC employees to park in the Edgewood parking lot off Cortland Street and take a bus to the Mass Mutual Center.
Four buses will begin running at 7:45am on Saturday morning and will run on a continuous loop through 10am. As a reminder, doors open at 8am. All graduating students need to be at the Mass Mutual Center by 9am.
Buses will begin bringing students and families back to AIC’s Edgewood parking lot immediately following the ceremony and will run on a continuous loop for 1 hour after the ceremony concludes.
Buses will load and unload on Dwight Street at the Mass Mutual Center.
Accessible buses for people with mobility concerns will also be available.
Parking Downtown
In addition to the garage at the MGM Casino, which again is very likely to be full when you arrive, below are some other parking options if you choose not to use the buses from campus:
Sheraton Monarch Place Garage – 36 Boland Way
I-91 South Garage – 1620 East Columbus Ave
Tower Square Garage – 1758 E Columbus Ave
Taylor Street Garage – 33 Taylor Street
I-91 North Garage – 1870 East Columbus Ave
Please remember that Main Street will be closed between State Street and Bridge Street, so plan any travel arrangements accordingly.
