The college is downscaling its commencement this year and moving to the Credit Union 1 Arena on the campus of the University of Illinois Chicago.
The 2025 spring commencement ceremonies will take place Sunday, May 18, at 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the city’s Near West neighborhood.
According Connie Stanley, assistant dean operations and student communications, this shift in venue is because of the way the 2025 academic calendar fell. Commencement usually takes place on the weekend of Mother’s Day, but this year it lands the weekend after.
Before he stepped down last summer, former President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim warned that the college may need to downscale commencement and the annual Manifest Arts Festival to help to curb the deficit, as the Chronicle previously reported.
Manifest will have a smaller footprint this year, too.
“We are unable to determine the total cost savings for this year’s venue at this time, as we will not receive the final bill for the venue and labor until after commencement concludes,” Stanley said.
For the past two years, Columbia’s commencement has been held over two days at the Arie Crown Theatre at the McCormick Place Convention Center. The year before, it was held at the Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University near campus.
The COVID-19 pandemic moved the ceremonies online in 2020 and 2021. Prior to that, commencement was held at the Auditorium Theatre and at the Chicago Theatre on State Street.
Columbia’s 2011 ceremonies took place in the Credit Union 1 Arena. “So now we’re kind of getting back to our roots,” Stanley said.
Stanley said the Credit Union 1 Arena is easier to navigate, more accessible for those with disabilities and guarantees each graduate receives seven guest tickets, which is one additional ticket from last year.
Another change made to this year’s commencement was the decision to condense four ceremonies across two days, to two ceremonies in one day. Stanley said this is due to the college’s restructuring of departments into schools, as students are now assigned a time based on which school their major is a part of.
There also are fewer students. Columbia’s enrollment this spring was 4,949 students.
In 2011, when Columbia was last at Credit Union 1 Arena, the school had 11,625 students.
The morning ceremony at 11 a.m. includes the schools of Business and Entrepreneurship, Communication and Culture, Film and Television and Fashion. The afternoon ceremony at 4:30 p.m. is for students in the schools of Theatre and Dance, Audio and Music, Design and Visual Arts.
This past summer, Columbia underwent a historic restructuring that eliminated 15 departments and divided the college into eight new schools headed by directors instead of chairs, as the Chronicle previously reported.
Stanley said that the change in venue will have no effect on the “specialness” of graduation, which features live music and a dancing faculty procession.
“Columbia’s commencement is so much bigger than your average commencement because it’s a huge production,” she said. “We’ve got bands, we’ve got an ensemble. It’s just a really good and fun time; you don’t want to miss it.”
What students are saying:
Yemima Kebede, a senior majoring in creative writing, said that she is all for the change of venue as it’s close to her place and guarantees each graduate seven tickets.
Kebede has been a part of the student production team for commencement the last two years, and is excited to finally be on the receiving end. “To just hear my name be called and to walk across the stage and hear family, friends, and even fellow classmates…wow, it will be official.”
She said it will be bittersweet to both leave behind college and move forward in life. “For me, despite all that Columbia has gone through, I’ve really loved my time here.”
Paige Johnson, a senior creative writing major, said she was aware of the venue change, but didn’t mind as it meant new scenery. “Since I’ve been a student, I’ve heard it change a few times,” she said, “I was surprised but also a little excited.”
Johnson said she is looking forward to having her closest family and friends there as they don’t live in Illinois and will be travelling to come see her walk the stage. She is also eager to experience an “art school graduation” for the first time.
As the Student Organization Council president, Johnson helps oversee all of the clubs and teams on campus. “I really hope I leave an impassioned position for empowering the student organizations and just keeping that student driven, student run energy,” she said, “and how important that is as a part of the greater Columbia community.”
Senior film and television major Leticia Santos said she doesn’t mind that commencement has moved locations this year.
She can’t wait to see her fellow graduates on stage being recognized for their hard work over the past four years. She said she is also excited to see her family and “finally have that world collide with my family and friends; just having everyone there together.”
Eleanor Linder, a senior comedy major, did not know that the commencement location had changed and was slightly disappointed that it was moving from a theatre to an arena. “I went there for my partner’s graduation last year,” she said. “The theatre was great.”
Nonetheless Linder said students and families should expect “a lot of joy” from Columbia’s commencement ceremony. “It doesn’t feel like an ending,” Lindor said. “It feels like a party.”
Copy edited by Patience Hurston
