Vincent Boudreau
Dear Campus Community,
We are on the brink of the academic year’s busiest days. The spring semester always seems barely to have begun when the rush of final ceremonies, celebrations, and exams are upon us—all leading inexorably to graduation and our commencement exercises.
I understand that there is some consternation on campus about changes we are making to the commencement programming this year. After some careful consideration, I have determined that in view of the college’s financial constraints and the limited human resources we have to mount 10 graduation ceremonies, we can no longer do so. Instead, we will revert to a commencement celebration consisting of one graduate student exercise and then a main commencement recognizing every graduating student at one time.
However, even as we move forward with these plans, we will hold fast to a second principle: that every graduating student will have their name called as they cross the graduation stage. At main commencement, students will enter the graduation arena and cross the stage while their name is announced. There, they will be congratulated by appropriate academic officials, and then proceed across the stage to take their seat in the audience. The ceremony will proceed from there until, in its culminating moments, I will confer degrees upon the class of 2025.
I know that many of you will be upset that we are not able to hold divisional ceremonies, which have been a source and a site of considerable pride over these past years. We simply do not have the resources to continue this aspect of our tradition. But I also want to remind us all that we instituted divisional commencements precisely because, at that time, we could not figure out how to allow each student to cross a singular graduation stage. Our new schedule allows for that aspect of commencement to take place in front of the college’s entire graduation assembly–and links that moment directly to the conferral of degrees, and so to the true moment when a student graduates.
With these principles in mind, we have developed the following commencement schedule, to take place on May 28th and May 30th. While these changes may seem like a break with long held tradition, I promise that this year’s commencement will be a joyful and celebratory affair, equal to our pride in recognizing your individual and collective achievements.
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
- 1:00 PM
- The Great Hall of Shepard Hall
- Graduation Event for All Master’s and PhD Candidates, including hooding for our PhD students
- Each student will receive two (2) tickets for your guests to attend
- Full Graduation Regalia to be worn
- All names to be read out loud as each student crosses the main stage
- This event will be livestreamed
Friday, May 30, 2025
- 10:00AM
- South Campus Great Lawn
- Graduation Event for All City College Graduates
- Full Graduation Regalia to be worn
- All names to be read out loud as each student crosses the main stage
- Each student will receive three (3) tickets for your guests to attend
- This event will be livestreamed
We look forward to seeing everyone at commencement but until then, wishing you a successful semester.
Sincerely,
Vince Boudreau
President