K-State to have in-person graduation at Bill Snyder Family Stadium

AJ Dome, The Manhattan Mercury, Kan.
·2 min read

Mar. 5—K-State is preparing to celebrate its 2020 and spring 2021 graduates with outdoor commencement ceremonies.

Graduation events will be May 14, 15, and 16 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. These would be the first in-person gradation ceremonies since December 2019; K-State canceled its ceremonies in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Graduates from the last three semesters will be invited to participate.

University spokesperson Michele Geering said in previous years, commencement was held at KSU Stadium, now called Bill Snyder Family Stadium. She said she didn't know the last time K-State held graduation at the stadium. In more recent years, K-State has held commencement ceremonies at Bramlage Coliseum with some ceremonies in McCain Auditorium.

Geering said administrators made the decision to hold ceremonies at the football stadium for the health and safety of graduates and their families, with improved air quality outdoors and room for people to sit socially distanced.

On May 14, the 2021 graduate school students will accept their degrees at 8 a.m. Graduate students for the 2020 school year will walk the stage at noon, and veterinary medicine students will walk at 4 p.m. that day.

On May 15, at 8 a.m. and noon, the arts and sciences undergraduates for 2020 and 2021 will cross the stage. Education students will have their ceremonies at 4 p.m., and students majoring in health and human sciences will graduate at 7:30 p.m. Additionally, on May 15, the College of Architecture, Planning and Design students will have their ceremonies at Memorial Stadium at 1 p.m.

Students in the agriculture department will receive their degrees at 8 a.m. May 16, while business students are set to have commencement ceremonies at 1 p.m. Engineering students will cross the stage at 6 p.m. that day.

K-State Polytechnic Campus students in Salina will have their spring ceremony on May 8 at Tony's Pizza Event Center in Salina.

University officials said these commencement plans depend on the continued improvement in mitigating and suppressing the spread of COVID-19. They said more details on participation and guest policies for graduates will be released in the next few weeks.

A graduation expo, sponsored by the K-State Alumni Association, will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday in the Student Union Courtyard. The expo offers materials for graduating students, including caps and gowns, custom KSU diploma frames, class rings and commencement information. Students interested in visiting the expo must bring their student ID to register at the door.