New Commencement Layout and Organization

Written by: Claire Cotie

This year, KCI’s commencement ceremony for graduating students will be held in June at the Centre in the Square. This is a significant shift from the November event in the KCI auditorium, where it is typically held. So, why the change?

Mr. Jackson, the head of the commencement committee, said that “the graduating class indicated that they would like to try having commencement in June.” He continued, “As the staff and administration at KCI are responsive to students, we investigated, planned, and were able to make this request happen.” 

The location change was due to “the size of KCI’s graduating class.” This year, there are 387 graduates, as well as their families and guests, and the 750 seats in the auditorium would not be enough to accommodate everyone. Thus, the decision was made to move the ceremony to the Centre in the Square, which offers 2000 seats.

Surveys were written for the graduates, parents, staff and administration, and the data from them was carefully reviewed to determine what the best plan of action was for this large graduating class. The commencement committee and administration ultimately decided to move the location so that “each graduate [could be] present with their families and guests,” Mr. Jackson noted.  

The date and location of the graduation ceremony were changed so that everyone can feel welcome and comfortable when watching their loved ones transition to the next stage of their lives.