The reins for the upcoming 2026 Commencement celebration have been passed to the student involvement team following the fall departure of former President Melinda Treadwell’s Executive Assistant Stacy King, who previously organized the ceremony.
Jessica Gagne Cloutier, director of student involvement, provided some context for the decision.
“I’m brand new to supporting Commencement,” Gagne Cloutier said. “At this point, I’m still in the learning curve of having just taken over.”
Gagne Cloutier elaborated that as positions have been eliminated or changed in the past year, the role of taking on the Commencement ceremony ended up going to the student involvement team.
Gagne Cloutier added that she “thinks it will be very stable here [student involvement].”
Gagne Cloutier said she views the work as a “team sport,” as multiple departments on campus help put the celebration together for the graduating seniors.
Scheduled for Friday, May 8, are the nurse pinning ceremony, Honors Convocation and the Master’s Hooding Ceremony. The Commencement ceremony takes place the following day.
“It’s a weekend in three different locations with around 7,000-plus guests on Saturday,” Gagne Cloutier said. “It’s a big lift for the campus. A year-long planning process.”
Gagne Cloutier explained how nominations for speakers work at commencement.
“Because we don’t have a Fall [Honors] Convocation, the recipient of the Distinguished Teacher award is selected the prior year, and that individual is typically announced in spring and speaks at the next Commencement,” Gagne Cloutier said. “The class president also has an opportunity to share remarks. And then there are two awards. One is the Granite State award and one is the Honorary Degree. Nominations are solicited, reviewed and then selected for those individuals.”
The process to select the chosen individuals begins in the fall, with decisions finalized in the spring.
Gagne Cloutier added that the Class of 2026 e-board helped with the decisions this year. The e-board has contributed its recommendations and Gagne Cloutier and her team are finalizing the options.
“Graduating seniors apply to graduate up to a year in advance,” Gagne Cloutier said. “The registrar then reviews all of their academic records to determine if they’re eligible, then we begin communicating. Communication actually started today [Feb. 13] to those students that have been approved. Now we can begin the process of preparing for the next steps.”
Gagne Cloutier explained that Graduation and Commencement are different, and that Commencement is only the ceremony while Graduation is the completion of academic requirements.
Students will not receive their diplomas at Commencement, as their final records need to be reviewed. Diplomas usually arrive about 12 weeks after the Commencement ceremony.
“It’s a fun day. It’s one of the most exciting days of our year,” Gagne Cloutier said. “Being present and being a part of that is such an exciting day. Getting to see students we have gotten to know, who are a part of our Owl family, successfully complete and celebrate. Culmination of years of work and relationships.”
Chloe Erno can be contacted at
