SUNY Fredonia President Stephen H. Kolison Jr. congratulates one of the 443 graduates who completed the stage walk at the 2021 commencement. The university is returning to its traditional commencement ceremonies this year, after COVID-19 worries restricted them last year and led to their cancellation in 2020. Submitted Photo

The State University of New York at Fredonia is going back to normal commencement ceremonies this year, President Stephen Kolison announced.

“This will be a traditional commencement, face to face, with students and parents, faculty and staff, College Council members, important guests of the university, all in one place,” Kolison told a meeting of the council.

“It’s kind of strange to be excited about it in this manner, because this is what a university does on a normal basis,” he added. “But when you haven’t done it for two years, you stop taking it for granted.”

As in the past, the commencement will be held in two sections, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. It will return to the Steele Hall Fieldhouse. The events are set for Saturday, May 17.

United States Attorney Trini Ross, a SUNY Fredonia alum, will be speaker at the 10 a.m. event. The 3 p.m. speaker isn’t clear yet. “Hopefully in a week or two, I should have the other person. Right now, we’ve extended an invitation to someone very distinguished, and we’re waiting to hear back,” Kolison said.

The university held stage walks for graduating students at King Concert Hall in 2021. It was not a traditional commencement ceremony. Spread out over four days, the walks had no spectators, and restrictions were placed on the number of students and faculty that could be in the venue at one time.

During the first year of the pandemic, 2020, the university initially postponed its commencement ceremonies to August, then cancelled them entirely.

Kolison took over as university president in 2020, so this will be his first traditional commencement at SUNY Fredonia.