Provost announces same-day graduation ceremony

CSB and SJU commencement ceremonies will now take place on the same day, according to an announcement released by the Provost’s office on Sept. 14.

Along with changes to the commencement ceremony, there will now be a joint baccalaureate Mass and a joint senior farewell celebration. In the past, these events have been held separately for CSB and SJU students.

Traditionally, CSB and SJU commencements have been held on the weekend following the end of the spring semester, with CSB taking place on Saturday and SJU taking place the next day on Sunday.

Some members of the community have advocated in the past years for combining ceremonies, something the new announcement attempts to accommodate.

Now, both colleges will hold their commencement on Saturday, May 11. The CSB ceremony will take place in the morning, followed by the SJU ceremony in the afternoon.

The announcement said the hope for this new plan is to allow the community to celebrate as a whole, build new traditions and take a step toward stronger integration between CSB+SJU. CSB+SJU Provost Richard Ice, who has been spearheading this effort for a joint commencement solution, said the decision began with hearing various student opinions.

“We heard lots of different opinions from students about what to do. Some, of course, want to have one commencement together. Some still want to have separate commencements,” Ice said. “We also heard from many students that they wanted to have some kind of commonality and connection of the celebration in other ways.”

Ice said gaining perspective on how the entire community, not just students, felt about the notion of a joint commencement celebration was held at a level of importance as well.

“We wanted to talk to various other groups. We talked to the two monasteries and got some feedback from board members and from staff. Thinking over the pros and cons brought forward by these different groups, the decision came to be,” he said.

Ice said that the groups decided something was needed to create a sense of coming together while also honoring separate traditions rooted in our institutions.

“Acknowledging that we have these two traditions and these two institutions and have students that are technically graduating from one institution or the other, moving it to the same day would allow for some crossover,” Ice said.

To gain a larger perspective from students, the presidents of both the CSB and SJU Senates were also involved in the conversation. Through sharing concerns and wishes from the student body that came forth, they were able to help with information leading to the final decisions.

Since the announcement was released, SJU Senate President and senior Wesley Kirchner said varying opinions have come forth from students and those in the community.

“I’ve heard mostly from students who are unhappy. I’ve heard opinions from both those who are for it and who don’t like the change and students who wish they were still going to be separate events,” Kirchner said. “It’s really a mixed bag of thoughts and feelings.”

Along with excitement and concern about celebrating the commencement ceremonies, there have also been questions about the logistics of holding the events on the same day.

“We took the lead from the staff who plan it and have planned it in the past. We figured out a plan to make it work in a way that seemed best,” Ice said.

With several hours between the CSB and SJU ceremonies, the crossover time between the two celebrations allows for staff and faculty to make it to both ceremonies. It also allows students and guests to have time to celebrate between ceremonies if they are attending both events.

“We believe that we’ll be able to do it. I know that that makes for one long day, but think of it as one long day instead of an entire weekend,” Ice said.

CSB Senate President and senior Clair Moonen said one of the students’ complaints is squishing the separate ceremonies in the same day.

“Students would mostly be moved out before the celebrations happen for Bennies who want to attend the St. John’s graduation, so they would usually have to go home and make the trip back. That’s frustrating, especially when you have such strong connections with some of the Johnnies,” Moonen said.

In addition to questions about the ceremony logistics, there have been questions from students about what is stopping a potential joint commencement. Ice said the main issue is finding a physical location large enough for the entire class of 2024.

“We do not have an inside space that could accommodate all the students and all the parents and friends. We do have, of course, outside the athletic facilities if we did it outside, but of course, there is always the concern of rain or other weather-related issues” Ice said.

Ice said finding a space that could house everyone also becomes an expense issue. An outside venue or off-campus location could be a possibility, but many students and community members have vocalized that having the ceremonies here on campus is important.

“I think students have a sense of belonging to both campuses, regardless of if they are a Bennie or a Johnnie. At the end of the day, we are a community deeply connected with each other and the place we have called home the last four years,” Moonen said.

While this is just the first announcement of the change, more details will follow as things process and the celebration approaches.

“Before people are quick to criticize, I’d really encourage people to just wait for more information,” Kirchner said.

Students, staff, and other community members are encouraged to express any questions or concerns to those who put these decisions and changes into effect.

“Talk to your administrators and make your voices heard. We are lucky that St. Ben’s and St. John’s are places that we are able to do so,” Kirchner said.