Commencement, 1964-present

Collection

Identifier: RG 12.03

Staff Only

About the Collection

The Commencement collection dates from 1964 to present in 2.60 cubic feet and contains programs and papers related to the commencement ceremonies at Columbia College Chicago.

Dates

1964-present

Creator

Columbia College (Chicago, Ill.) (Organization)

Terms of Access

The entirety of the processed records of the Commencement collection are available to all users.

Any unprocessed items added to the collection that are not in this current inventory will become available for all users once the Archivist has updated the collection’s description.

Terms of Use

Materials are the property of Columbia College Chicago. Intellectual property rights of work belong to the original creators. Materials within the collection that are published and copyrighted maintain their copyright protections and must be used according to United States Copyright Law. Use of this collection and its materials is understood to be primarily for research, teaching, and creative study; additional uses, such as publication, exhibition, or other appropriate purposes may be considered upon consultation with the Archivist.

History - Commencement

Commencement ceremonies occur in the spring and honor bachelor's, master's, and honorary degree recipients of Columbia College Chicago.

Extent

2.60 Cubic Feet (Two (2) record boxes) : Forms of materials: programs

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Introduction

Commencement ceremonies are held each year by Columbia College Chicago to celebrate graduates and honorary degree recipients. The strength of the Commencement collection consists of commencement ceremony programs.

Collection Arrangement

This collection has been arranged chronologically.

Requirements for Researcher’s Access

All physical materials and reformatted media must be viewed during a scheduled appointment time within the College Archives & Special Collections office. No materials are to be circulated unless otherwise consulted with the Archivist.

Access to some audiovisual media in the collection, such as VHS pr audio cassette, may be temporarily unavailable pending digital reformatting.

Technical Requirements for Researcher’s Access

Researchers viewing digitized, online material from this collection may access these materials from home via the World Wide Web 24/7.

Access to reformatted media in the collection, such as VHS, audio cassette, or computer files, must be viewed within the College Archives & Special Collections office during a scheduled appointment. Although reformatted, these items cannot be sent electronically nor can be published in our online database due to copyright restrictions. A computer and other necessary equipment will be provided during the appointment to access these materials.

Additions to the Collection

Accruals occur yearly each spring as new programs and ephemera are added to the collection.

Accessible Online Material from the Commencement Collection

While the entirety of this collection is available for research in person, portions of it have been digitized and made available online including:

Commencement Programs, 1965-2017
Columbia College Chicago celebrates its annual master's and bachelor's graduates with commencement ceremonies each spring. These programs list the ceremonies' events and rosters of graduates for the year. In some instances, the programs also include information about the year's honorary degree recipients and the conferment of the College's emeritus faculty. This is not a comprehensive collection of commencement programs for the College. Programs prior to 1965 are not present in the College Archives. Additionally, programs prior to 2000 may only feature certain ceremony programs during years when multiple ceremonies were held.

Related Research Resources - Collections

RG 03.07 Mike Alexandroff
RG 06.06.01 Institutional Marketing
RG 11.01 Course Catalogs, especially the 1923 edition, which lists a roster of graduates beginning in 1892
RG 11.07 Columbia Chronicle
RG 12.03.01 Honorary Degree Recipients
RG 13 Alumni
RG 14.01 Manifest