Commencement
For our students, their families and the University community, Commencement is the culminating event of the Kettering experience.
The successful completion of a Kettering degree is an enormous accomplishment, worthy of celebration and public acknowledgment.
Please join us in honoring graduates from the Class of 2023 at our June Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at Kettering University's Atwood Stadium.
Schedule of Events
Friday, June 16, 2023
6:00 p.m. - 2023 Academic Honors Banquet (by invitation only)
Invitations will be sent late May/early June
Saturday, June 17, 2023
10:30 a.m. - 2023 Commencement Ceremony
Atwood Stadium, Kettering University
For those unable to attend, the ceremony will be live-streamed.
*In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony may be delayed until later in the day on Saturday, June 17, or it may be moved to Sunday, June 18, at 10:30 a.m. The weather call will be made at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 17, and updates will be provided via email to participating graduates and on the University's Social Media Accounts.
We are thrilled to have you join us for this exciting celebration! Tickets are required for entry to Kettering University’s Atwood Stadium. You will not be allowed to enter the stadium if you do not have a ticket.
Atwood Stadium will be open for guests at 8:30 a.m. on the morning of the ceremony. Attendees will enter the stadium via the northwest and northeast gates, at the corners of the stadium facing University Avenue.
Guests with accessible seating tickets will enter the stadium via Gate S.
Some things to keep in mind:
- The ceremony lasts roughly 2-2 ½ hours. Please remain for the entire ceremony.
- In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony may be delayed until later in the day on Saturday, June 17, or it may be moved to Sunday, June 18, at 10:30 a.m. The weather call will be made at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 17, and updates will be provided via email to participating graduates and on the University's Social Media Accounts.
- Photographs are encouraged, though they are only allowed from your seat during the ceremony; there is no guest access to the stage area. Professional photographers will be on site to capture photos of each graduate.
- Guests are not permitted in the graduate assembly or field seating area.
- We do not allow balloons, banners, signs, noise makers, or other disruptive items.
Congratulations graduates! It is an honor to celebrate your hard work and dedication. The following details will help to make your day run smoothly.
*** YOUR RSVP IS REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN COMMENCEMENT ***
Please note you must RSVP by Friday, June 2, 2023, in order to participate in the ceremony.
If you were awarded a degree dated September 24, 2022, December 17, 2022 or are pending for March 25, 2023 or June 16, 2023 and have been verified as a degree candidate, you are the class of 2023, apply here.
Graduate check in
8:30 a.m. - Report to Bluff St/Stevenson Street to check in and pick up your Graduate Card
10:00 a.m. - Graduate Lineup
10:30 a.m. - Formal Processional and Ceremony begins
12:30 p.m. - Ceremony Ends (Approximated End Time)
Before the Ceremony
Graduates should arrive no later than one hour prior to the start of the ceremony to check in and pick up their Graduate Card. This card will be handed off to our name reader before you enter the stage to receive your diploma. The registrar’s office will be onsite to direct and assist graduates in lining up for the processional. Graduates will proceed to the stadium gates when the ceremony is ready to begin.
We ask for purses, bags, coats, and other personal items given to family or friends before the ceremony. Cell phones and electronic devices should be silenced or turned off before the start of the procession.
Due to the ceremony being held at Atwood Stadium, flat soled shoes are required for all participants/attendees on the field level.
The Ceremony
The ceremony will last approximately 2- 2 ½ hours. The faculty marshal will signal you to stand, one row at a time to come forward to receive your diploma. You will walk to the stage and hand your card to our name reader. Once your name is called, you will walk forward across the stage to receive your diploma.
A photo will be taken as you receive your diploma. You will then return to your seat. Follow the direction of the faculty marshals for the recessional.
Graduates are required to wear academic regalia when participating in the Kettering University Commencement ceremony. Academic regalia is available for purchase online with Oak Hall and will not be available onsite at Commencement. Regalia purchases must be completed before Wednesday, May 24, 2023.
Click here to order your regalia for the 2023 ceremony.
Once received, we recommend IMMEDIATELY opening the package to hang your gown (and hood if applicable). This step will help to remove all wrinkles. Gowns may be steamed but cannot be pressed as it will damage the gown.
The University utilizes black caps and gowns for our academic regalia. Your degree program determines the tassel color. Graduates with double majors can purchase an additional tassel on the website outside of the bundle.
Commencement is a milestone in your life, and we welcome you to decorate your cap as you celebrate your hard work and dedication. Please take the following information into consideration as you decorate.
- Only the flat, top portion of the mortarboard may be decorated. Nothing else should be decorated on the sides of the cap or your academic gown.
- Decorations should not make noise. No bells, horns, etc.
- Avoid obscenities, profanity, vulgar or lewd remarks
- Elements of your design should lay as flat as possible to avoid obstructed views.
Other Apparel
Shoes and other articles of visible apparel worn should be of dark colors that harmonize with academic dress. Nothing else should be worn on the academic gown. Due to the ceremony being held at Atwood Stadium flat soled shoes are required for all participants/attendees.
Graduates will be able to request unlimited tickets for their guests this year. Tickets are required for entry. To reserve your tickets, click here.
Accessible seating is located on the field level and it can be accessed via the South East stadium gate (Gate S) off of the Atwood Stadium Parking Lot. Guests requesting accessible seating should contact The Office of Events at events@kettering.edu for additional details. These tickets cannot be reserved though the online ticket system.
Physical Address: 701 University Ave. Flint MI 48504
A-Z Stadium Policies can be found here.
Permitted Items:
-
Binoculars, cases are subject to inspection
-
Blankets
-
Cameras
-
Cell phones
-
Bags smaller than 12” x 12” x 6”
-
Rain apparel
-
Seat cushions
-
Small umbrellas used without obstructing others’ view
Prohibited Items:
As a general rule, any items that obstruct the view of other guests or that can be used as projectiles, that interfere with the comfort of other guests or are deemed inappropriate/hazardous by stadium security are prohibited.
Guests are subject to visual inspection of person, parcels, bags, and clothing capable of concealing prohibited items. Changes in national, regional, and campus security may affect security procedures.
The following items are not permitted in Atwood Stadium:
-
Alcohol
-
Tobacco, including e-cigarettes and vapor cigarettes
-
Non-service animals
-
Firearms, weapons, and sharp objects including mace and pepper spray
-
Bags larger than 12” x 12” x 6”
-
Coolers and containers including bottles and beverage containers
-
Signs or banners
-
Bicycles
-
Skateboards
-
Strollers beyond concourse
-
Noise makers
-
Large umbrellas
-
Objects that obstruct others views
-
Clothing displaying profane or inappropriate symbols or wording
-
Hazardous materials including but not limited to explosives and fireworks
-
Laser pointers
-
Selfie sticks
-
Trespassing, soliciting, peddling and loitering
-
Any illegal substances
-
Any other item or action deemed dangerous or inappropriate
Livestream
The ceremony will be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend the ceremony in person. The link will be shared on the Commencement Webpage and via email to graduates before Commencement weekend.
Photos
We have hired GradImages® to photograph commencement and to capture each graduate as they are individually recognized. Proofs will be available as soon as 48 hours after the ceremony. To view your photo proofs online, visit the GradImages® website. If you have any questions about your photos, contact GradImages® Customer Service Department at (800)261-2576, online at www.gradimages.com or email giservice@gradimages.net.
Flowers
Flowers will be available for purchase at the commencement ceremonies. Additionally, Commencement Flowers provides graduates and guests the opportunity to pre-order products online at www.thecommencementgroup.com/kettering/.
Kettering Apparel and Memorabilia
Join other graduates and pay it forward to the next generation of Kettering students. Your contribution of $20.23 to the Keep Me Kettering Scholarship Fund will support students who are in need of financial assistance, and you'll receive a teal-blue philanthropy cord to wear at Commencement. Click here to make your Senior Gift.
Featured Speaker
Paul Bascobert '87, EE
Paul Bascobert was named President of Reuters in June of 2022. Founded in 1851, Reuters is one of the largest global newsgathering operations and leading providers of business, financial and world news for billions of people and organizations.
Bascobert began his Kettering career as a co-op student at the Tonawanda Engine Plant where he started his first company in machine controls as a sophomore. After graduate school, he co-founded Vertex Partners, a strategy and technology firm. The firm merged with Braun Technology Group, went public and after more than a decade, sold to Fair Isaac Corporation.
Bascobert has a degree in Electrical Engineering from Kettering University and an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a former board member for the Partnership for A Drugfree America.
