If NIU were to accommodate all of the May 2003 graduates’ families and faculty members in one ceremony, NIU would need a “20,000 seat arena,” said Provost Ivan Legg.

“This is probably the biggest [graduating class] ever,” Legg said.

Because of the large numbers, spring commencement will be broken down into three ceremonies. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will graduate at 9 a.m. on May 10, the College of Business and the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at 1 p.m., and the College of Health and Human Sciences, the College of Education, and the College of Visual and Performing Arts at 5 p.m.

Although several colleges across the nation invite guest speakers to address graduates, NIU has to take a different approach because of the large number of graduates. In the past, colleges have held individual ceremonies and were able to choose whether or not to have guest speakers, Legg said. In the new system where colleges are combined, it would take too long to have a speaker at each ceremony.

“We don’t want people sitting too long,” Legg said.

As of right now, NIU President John Peters is slated to speak at all three ceremonies. Dennis Barsema, who donated the funds to build Barsema Hall, will speak at the College of Business and College of Engineering and Engineering Technology ceremony. Legg said Barsema had been invited as a guest speaker before the new system had been implemented, so he will still address the graduates at the ceremony.

What are other colleges doing?

The University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana has two commencement ceremonies, the first has nine graduating colleges and the second ceremony has five colleges graduating. Barry Bearak, New York Times Magazine journalist, 2002 Pulitzer Prize winner and University of Illinois alumnus, will address the graduating classes at both ceremonies.

At DePaul University, each college has an individual ceremony. Some will be taking place at the Civic Opera House in Chicago, and others will be held at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. Various speakers will speak at each individual ceremony.

At the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., President George Bush will offer words of encouragement to the 2003 graduating cadets.

Although the President won’t be visiting DeKalb, Frederick Kitterle, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said that it is most important that the ceremony is meaningful to students.

“I think anybody can be inspirational to the students,” Kitterle said. “It doesn’t have to be someone from the outside.”