As long as it remains safe and feasible, Keystone College will celebrate the Class of 2021 during its 150th Commencement Exercises at the Circle Drive-In in Dickson City on Monday, May 24 at dusk. The Commencement committee is working to determine details related to entry, parking, and the ceremony, all of which are subject to change and will be dependent on public health guidelines and state restrictions as we get closer to the event. As additional details are finalized, graduates will be notified through Moodle, Keystone College email, and updates will be posted on this web page.

Following please find information to make your final days as a Keystone College student easy and enjoyable for you and your family. Please keep this information handy and refer to it in preparation for Commencement.

TICKETS/PARKING

Parking at the Circle Drive-In is limited.  Each graduate may bring a total of two vehicles (including the vehicle they travel to the ceremony in) and the reserving of parking spaces is not permitted. Each graduate will be mailed two tickets/passes to their home address in early May, which must be provided to staff at the Ticket Booth as the vehicle is entering the Circle Drive-In. Attendants will be on hand to direct graduates and their guests to the appropriate parking area.
Gates will open for parking at 5:30 p.m. and graduate check-in will begin at 6 p.m.

HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES

In accordance with COVID-19 guidelines of the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the CDC, all individuals must wear a face mask or face covering before, during, and after the ceremony. Failure or refusal to adhere to these guidelines will result in the individual being asked to leave the event.

DRESS

• Men: Dress shirts, dark ties, dark dress pants, dark socks, and dark shoes.
• Women: Dresses, slacks, or pantsuits and dark shoes with low heels. No flowers or decorations may be worn or carried. Also, bring bobby pins to secure your mortarboard (cap).
• All Students: Put your mortarboard (cap) on straight – parallel to the ground, not tilted over either ear or on the back of the head. Women may wear their academic caps throughout the ceremony. Men should remove their caps for the invocation, national anthem, and benediction. It is recommended that the gown is steamed or pressed prior to Commencement.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HOSPITALITY TABLE

Stop by the Alumni Association hospitality table for last minute emergency items (bobby pins, safety pins, etc.). The hospitality table will be located to the left side of the Concession Stand as you face the main screen near the graduate check-in area.

REFRESHMENTS

The Circle Drive-In Concession Stand will open prior to and throughout the ceremony during which time items will be available for purchase. All food and drink items must be consumed in the vehicle.

CAPS AND GOWNS

Graduates who did not order their cap and gown in February should contact the College Green Eatery & Market at 570-945-8009.

DIPLOMAS

Diplomas will be mailed to the graduate’s home address on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.

ELIGIBILITY

Degrees will be conferred by the Keystone College Board of Trustees on May 22, 2021. Any student who is not eligible for degree conferral will receive a phone call from the Registrar between 9 a.m. and noon on May 19, 2021. Students with outstanding student account balances are allowed to participate in the Commencement ceremony. However, in order to receive official grades, transcripts and/or diplomas, students must have their student account balance paid in full. Student Central stands ready to assist graduates in clearing student account balances prior to April 24, 2021 in order that grades, transcripts, and diplomas are prepared in a timely manner. Students who are unable to attend Commencement should submit a “Request to Graduate in Absentia” form to the Registrar’s Office.

PHOTOGRAPHY

During Commencement, a professional photographer with Grad Images will take a candid and posed photo of each graduate. A few days following Commencement, Grad Images will e-mail proofs of the pictures to each student. The student may decide to purchase a photo package directly from Grad Images at this time.

To avoid excessive movement during the event and to allow for continued social distancing, guests should remain in their vehicle as much as possible. All other individual photos of the student on stage and immediately exiting the stage will not be permitted.

DECORUM

While recognizing that Commencement is time for celebration, it is important for students to remember that it is also a formal academic ceremony to be conducted with dignity. Graduates should refrain from using hoverboards and skateboards.

VIEWING INSTRUCTIONS

The Commencement ceremony will be broadcast on the Circle Drive-In’s large screens and also live streamed (URL will be announced once details are finalized). Guests in attendance can also tune in to to 89.3 FM to listen to the audio feed using their vehicle’s radio.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Keystone College alumnus Thomas See ’91, Live Nation President, Venues/U.S. Concerts, will provide the keynote address.

SCHEDULE EVENTS

5:30 p.m. Gates open for guest parking

6 p.m. Student check-in: Proceed to the left side of the Concession Stand as you face the main screen where students will receive their name card. Honors cords will be distributed to eligible undergraduates at this time and graduates will be directed to return to their vehicle until notified to make their way to the stage.

7:15 p.m. Stage party line-up: Left hand side of stage

7:30 p.m. Academic procession begins.

7:45 p.m. Commencement exercises begin

At the conclusion of Commencement exercises, the stage party will recess to the right of the stage at the direction of the Assistant Marshals. This concludes the Commencement ceremony. Ushers will assist with the directing of exiting vehicles.

Congratulations, graduates! If you’re taking to social media this Commencement season – before, during, and after the ceremony – be sure to use the hashtag #kcgrad.