NEIU’s Commencement Committee, which plans and executes NEIU’s biannual commencement ceremonies, is considering eliminating the December ceremony.
“The planning committee is still discussing and vetting data regarding this issue. No decisions or recommendations have been formally introduced at this time,” Andy Dutil, the Executive Director of the Student Union and Chair of the Commencement Committee, said in a statement to the Independent.
In April, Dutil spoke to the Student Government Association (SGA), informing it of the Commencement Committee’s consideration. He said the budget for the two commencement ceremonies, one in December and one in May, is $400,000. Eliminating the December commencement would allow for a full year of planning for a single event and reduce overtime for staff at the Student Union.
NEIU differs from some larger universities in that it lacks a full-time commencement planning team. Instead, NEIU’s Commencement Committee is made up of faculty and staff from many departments across the university. Dutil also pointed out that, while many Illinois universities have two ceremonies a year, many comparatively sized universities across the country only have a Spring commencement.
The lack of a December commencement ceremony would not necessarily prevent students from graduating in the Fall. “When you walk a commencement, you have not graduated officially,” Dutil said. “You’ve graduated once all of your grades and credits and everything have been rectified.” Students who graduate in the Fall would have to return in the Spring, if they are able, for the opportunity to walk at their commencement ceremony.
According to Dutil, if NEIU were to eliminate the December commencement, it would not take effect until 2026. NEIU will still have a December commencement ceremony this year in 2025.
As of yet, the Commencement Committee has not made any official recommendations. The Commencement Committee is expected to make its final recommendations later this summer.
