Ceremony Schedule
The Commencement Ceremony will take place on Sunday, June 16 at 10 a.m. on the campus Quadrangle. The ceremony will last approximately two hours and thirty minutes and it will take place outside rain or shine. Please be prepared for any kind of weather!
All seniors should meet inside of Dalton Theatre in your cap and gown no later than 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 16.
Ticket & Livestream Information
There are no tickets or rain tickets required for the 2024 ceremony. There is no limit to the number of guests each senior can invite to campus for 2024.
The Commencement Ceremony will be livestreamed for friends and family that cannot attend the ceremony in-person.
While commencement will take place regardless of the weather conditions, in the event of heavy rain showers or severe weather (thunder/lightning observed or anticipated), the commencement ceremony may be delayed by no more than three hours. Communication about a delay would be sent via K Alert, social media and email no later than 8 a.m. on Sunday, June 16.
Commencement Weekend Information Desk & Bookstore Hours
Saturday, June 15
- Information Desk – 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Atrium, Weimer K. Hicks Center
- Bookstore – 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Lower Level, Weimer K. Hicks Center
Sunday, June 16
- Information Desk – 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Atrium, Weimer K. Hicks Center
- Bookstore – 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Lower Level, Weimer K. Hicks Center
Parking and Drop-Off
For your convenience during Commencement Weekend, most of the faculty, staff, and student parking lots will be available for parking without a special permit.
You are also invited to use street parking on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods.
See the parking information page for details related to street detours, graduate and accessible drop-off, campus parking lots, street parking, campus maps, and more.
Ceremony Seating
Chairs will be available to accommodate family and friends on the Quad at a first come first serve basis.
Open seating will also be available on the grass of the Upper Quad where guests can bring lawn chairs and blankets to view the ceremony as long as they do not obstruct the view of other guests.
For guests with a mobility challenge please visit the Accessibility Information.
Food and Beverage
Coffee, hot chocolate and breakfast bars will be available for guests from 8-10 a.m. on Sunday, June 16 by the Weimer K. Hicks Center. Please note that food and beverage will not be adjusted based on dietary preferences and restrictions.
Water stations will be available during the Commencement Ceremony at various locations around the Quad.
For more information regarding food and beverage options during the weekend please visit the dining page.
Ceremony Speakers
Keynote Speaker: Larry J. Bell ’80
In addition to serving as the Commencement keynote speaker, Larry J. Bell, founder of Bell’s Brewery, Inc., will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the College.
Summer Common Reading 2019 Speaker: Jaroslav Kalfař
Jaroslav Kalfař will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from K. His debut novel, Spaceman of Bohemia, was the Summer Common Reading book for the Class of 2023.
Senior Speaker: Tony Yazbeck ’23
Caps, Gowns, Gifts and Gear
Please contact the Kalamazoo College Bookstore at 269.337.7318 if you would like to purchase caps, gowns, tassels, graduation announcements and other commemorative items.
Photographs
The College has an agreement with Graduation Foto to take a photo of each senior as they accept their diploma and exit the stage. All seniors must fill out the Graduation Foto contact information form in order to receive a proof of the photo taken during the ceremony. This online form will be available in June. After Commencement Weekend, graduates will receive information about ordering keepsake prints. Please do not stand in front or at the sides of the stage to take photographs during the ceremony.
Safety and Security
About Campus Safety
Kalamazoo College operates its own non-deputized campus safety program. Campus Safety personnel, regularly patrol the campus 24 hours a day. Campus Safety will respond to all requests for service and attend to situations around the campus that affect the security of residents and visitors. Although the presence of safety patrols increase campus security, safety must always be of personal concern. The Office of Campus Safety requests that criminal acts and unusual or suspicious activity that occurs on college property be reported immediately.
Emergency Contacts
Campus Safety: 269.337.7321
Kalamazoo Public Safety: 911 or 9-911 (when on a Kalamazoo College landline)
Campus Speed Limits
The speed limit on campus roads is 15 MPH. Please drive cautiously, watching for students and guests at crosswalks and between cars.
Severe Weather
While commencement will take place regardless of the weather conditions, in the event of heavy rain showers or severe weather (thunder/lightning observed or anticipated), the Commencement Ceremony may be delayed by no more than three hours. Communication about a delay would be sent via K Alert, social media and email no later than 8 a.m. on Sunday, June 16.
Lost and Found
If you believe you left an item somewhere on campus during Commencement Weekend, please contact the Campus Safety office, located in the Weimer K. Hicks Center at 269.337.7321.
Land Acknowledgement
We gather on the land of the Council of the Three Fires – the Ojibwe, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi. Indigenous nations of the Great Lakes region are also known as the Anishinaabe (Ah-nish-nah-bay), or original people, and their language is Anishinaabemowin (Ah-nish-nah-bay-mow-in). We acknowledge the enduring relationship that exists between the People of the Three Fires and this land.