Best of CASE District VI Award
 

Institution: University of Missouri - Kansas City

Title of entry: UMKC 2021 Spring Commencement at Kauffman Stadium: A New Tradition

About this entry: UMKC at the K – A Milestone In-Person Commencement

After successful virtual commencements in the Spring and Fall of 2020, UMKC’s Chancellor Mauli Agrawal tasked the External Relations and Constituent Engagement (ERCE) office, which includes the office of Special Events, with producing an in-person commencement for May 2021.

Graduation is a significant milestone event that students work toward for years. We knew that the past year and a half of pandemic virtual learning had been challenging on the mind set of our students and that holding this event in person was a significant way to bring a sense of normalcy to their lives.

The goal was creating a ceremony with a celebratory atmosphere in a location that was safe for the health and welfare of our guests. We needed to secure a venue large enough to also accommodate anyone from the Class of 2020 who had participated in virtual ceremonies but wanted the experience of walking across the stage – and we had just six weeks to pull it off.

Using our mighty network of alumni and constituent supporters, we secured Kauffman Stadium, home to the World Series Champion Royals baseball team, for the May 15-16, 2021 Commencement. A two-day event, its success even during the rain boiled down to these ingredients: staff leadership, volunteers, stakeholders, faculty, students and their families. The event became known as “UMKC at the K”, celebrated 2,300 graduates, and sparked a new UMKC tradition as the University recently announced UMKC at the K, May 2022.