Pitt State University to host four graduation ceremonies

Changes planned for Pittsburg State University's 108th spring commencement exercises are just one more reflection of the ways PSU has grown and developed over the years, university officials said this week. Nearly 1,200 students are eligible to receive undergraduate or graduate degrees in ceremonies planned for May 13 and 14.

For the first time, PSU will hold four separate ceremonies -- one each for its four academic colleges. Commencement for the College of Business will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 13. Commencement for students in the College of Arts and Sciences will take place at 8 p.m. that evening. On Saturday, May 14, commencement for the College of Technology will be held at 9 a.m. and for the College of Education at 11 a.m.

The ability of John Lance Arena to accommodate commencement safely and comfortably has been a driving factor in several decisions to change commencement over the years, a news release said.

For many years, the university had just one spring commencement ceremony. By the 1990s, crowds were so large that television monitors were installed in the hallways and classrooms of the Weede PE Building for persons who could not find seats in John Lance Arena. The spring commencement was divided into two ceremonies over two days and a December commencement ceremony was added to the calendar in 1996.

Over the past year, Bill Ivy, dean of enrollment management and student success, has led a campus-wide committee charged with planning a new structure for commencement.

Ivy said the committee has worked to streamline and enhance commencement while at the same time preserving the important traditional ceremonial aspects of the event. He said an important aspect of PSU's commencement ceremony is the individual recognition of each graduate.

"That personal recognition at commencement reflects the university's commitment to the individual student throughout their academic career at Pittsburg State," Ivy said. "It is important for us to preserve that."

Ivy said with four smaller ceremonies, seating won't be the issue it once was and families won't have to arrive so early to get good seats. Seating for the second ceremony of each day will begin approximately 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the ceremony. In addition, all of the ceremonies will be broadcast live via a webcast, which can be accessed through a link on the registrar's commencement website.

For more information on spring commencement, visit the commencement page on the registrar's website, or call (620) 235-4200.