Commencement Ceremony Information

• Monday, December 15, 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 16, 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Clemens Fine Arts Center, on the campus of WKCTC

• For the 5 p.m. ceremonies, candidates for graduation must report to the Nemer Building no later than 4:15 p.m. to sign in for the ceremony.
• For the 7 p.m. ceremonies, candidates for graduation must report to the Nemer Building no later than 6:15 p.m. to sign in for the ceremony.
• Signage will be in place to direct students and guests.
• Please consider parking / walking times in order to arrive for the ceremony sign-in no later than arrival times listed above.
• The ceremony breakdown list, listing the programs / areas of study, is in the Ceremony Breakdown tab below.
• View our campus map to show you the location of the Clemens Fine Arts Center and the Nemer Building.
• All guests should enter the front doors of the Clemens Fine Arts Center.  Doors will open at approximately 4:15 p.m. (first ceremony) and 6:15 p.m. (second ceremony). 

This form is crucial to determine how many graduates we will have to participate in commencement. If you plan to walk at graduation, you must fill out this form in order to be counted. The Intent to Walk form will be available on this web page October 20-31. It will also be emailed to all eligible students.

Keep in mind that the ceremony breakdown (information under ceremony breakdown tab below) could change based upon the number of graduates who wish to participate in commencement. The FINAL ceremony breakdown will be updated and published by Friday, November 7.

• Students can purchase cap and gowns at the WKCTC Bookstore in the Anderson Technical Building.
• The high-quality, blue Graduation Regalia Bundle includes your cap, gown, and tassel for the price of $45.98, plus tax.
  An additional tassel is $8.98, plus tax.
• The bookstore accepts cash, credit/debit cards, and can process SFA with a voucher from the Financial Aid office.
• There will be a cap and gown ordering day on December 1 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the WKCTC Bookstore.
• There will be a cap decoration day in the WKCTC Bookstore on December 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• If you have any questions, please reach out to the bookstore via email at SM070@bncollege.com.

• Candidates for graduation who have a 3.6 or higher GPA and a minimum of 45 hours from KCTCS schools are eligible to receive a free blue and gold honor cord to wear at commencement.
• The names of candidates for graduation who are eligible to wear a blue and gold honor cord, which represents graduation with high distinction, will be marked on an honors cord list by the WKCTC Records office and provided to the WKCTC bookstore team.
• Eligible candidates for graduation can pick up an honor cord in the WKCTC bookstore. 
• Community Scholarship Program cords should be picked up in the Anderson Technical Building from Justin Hill or Ayesha Smith.
• Veteran cords should be picked up from Amanda Scheidegger or Deanna Shelley in the Anderson Technical Building.
• Student Government Association cords should be picked up from Greta Henry in the Clemens Student Center/Fine Arts Building. 
• Future Business Leaders of America cords should be picked up from Beth Swadley or Jason Willoughby.
• If you are a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, PTK co-advisor Dr. Kim Russell will communicate with you to order your honor stole from the official PTK website and provide details about also attending the Honors and Achievement Ceremony on Monday, May 5, in the WKCTC Clemens Fine Arts Center

• SMILE! A professional photographer will be taking pictures of candidates for graduation throughout the ceremony. Make sure to let family and friends know.
• Photos can be ordered from Jones Photography in the weeks following commencement at jonesphoto.gotphoto.com - access code: WKCTCFALL25.
• Photography information will also be available in the commencement program.

To ensure your guests are able to attend the commencement ceremony, please follow these steps to reserve ticket.

How to reserve guest tickets

• The Clemens Fine Arts Center Box Office will provide ticket reservation links beginning on November 10.
• These links will be sent to your WKCTC email.
• These links will be available on this web page beginning November 10.
• Please ensure you are reserving tickets for the correct ceremony.

Important Dates

• Ticket reservation opens: Monday, November 10, 2025 at 10 a.m.
• Ticket reservation closes: Friday, December 5, 2025 at 5 p.m.
• You must request your tickets during this time.
• Each student may reserve up to six (6) guest tickets.
• After December 5, no additional tickets will be issued.

Ticketing Rules and Policies

• Each student may reserve up to six (6) guest tickets.
• Seating is assigned/reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Infants/Toddlers: All children, regardless of age, must have a ticket and will count toward your 6-ticket limit. If no ticket is reserved for an infant/toddler, they and their accompanying adult will be seated in the overflow room. If space becomes available after all guests are seated, they may move to the main auditorium; otherwise, they will remain in the Student Center. 
• Graduating students do NOT need a ticket.
• Students MUST use their WKCTC email address to reserve tickets.
• Reservations made with non-WKCTC emails will be automatically canceled.
• Students cannot duplicate ticket reservations using their WKCTC email.
• Guests without a ticket will not be admitted into the theater.
• Handicap Seating: To reserve handicap-accessible seating, please call 270-534-3212. These seats are held separately to ensure availability and cannot be selected online.
• Ticket Questions: For any ticket-related inquiries, please contact 270-534-3212.
• Tickets will only be issued during the ticketing timeline: November 10 - December 5
• Further instructions about reserving tickets with the Clemens Fine Arts Center will be published on this page soon.

Receiving and Distributing Tickets

Once the reservation is complete, students will receive their tickets electronically, along with a confirmation to their WKCTC email. 
If you do not receive your ticket in your email, please contact the Clemens Fine Arts Center Box Office at 270-534-3212.
Students are responsible for printing / distributing digital tickets to their guests.

Overflow Seating and Live Stream

If you have additional guests, please refer to the Overflow and Live Stream tab below.

• Candidates for graduation who need special accommodations must contact marybeth.head@kctcs.edu no later than Monday, December 1, 2025.
• Handicap parking is available in parking lot 12. (WKCTC parking lots are marked by signs on light poles)
• Handicap seating is available inside the Clemens Fine Arts Center. You must select handicap seating for a family member who needs it when reserving your tickets. There will be space for one of your guests to sit with the person needing the accommodation. Your remaining guests must sit in their assigned, ticketed seats. 

• Candidates for graduation should leave all personal belongings in their vehicle or with family or friends during the ceremony. WKCTC is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College
4810 Alben Barkley Drive
Paducah, KY 42001

Please view the campus map to locate the Clemens Fine Arts Center and the Nemer Building.

Each graduate will be provided two printed programs upon checking into the Nemer Building. QR codes will be provided for guests to download and view a digital version of the program.

WKCTC will provide overflow space in the Student Center adjacent to the theater. This will be a space for additional guests without tickets to watch the ceremony live. This is also a space provided for guests who need to step out of the theater for any reason.

The live stream will also be available on WKCTC’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Links to the streams will be provided on this webpage when they’re available.

* This ceremony breakdown is tentative based upon form submissions from the Intent to Walk form. The final ceremony breakdown will be published by Friday, November 7.

Monday, December 15, 5 p.m.

Health Sciences Division (Nursing not included in this ceremony) and Applied Technologies Division:

Health Sciences Programs

• Administrative Office Technology
• Dental Assisting
• Diagnostic Medical Sonography
• Health Science Technology
• Medical Information Technology
• Medical Laboratory Technician
• Physical Therapist Assistant
• Radiography
• Surgical Technology

Applied Technologies Programs

• Air Conditioning Technology
• Apprenticeship Studies
• Automotive Technology
• Collision Repair Technology
• Construction Technology
• Computer Aided Drafting and Design
• Computer and Information Technologies
• Computer Engineering Technology
• Computerized Manufacturing and Machining
• Cosmetology
• Culinary Arts
• Diesel Technology
• Electrical Technology
• Fire Science Technology
• General Occupational/Technical Studies
• Industrial Maintenance Technology
• Marine Technology
• Welding Technology

Monday, December 15, 7 p.m.

Nursing 

• Nursing - Associate Degree
• Nursing - Practical Nurse

Tuesday, December 16, 5 p.m.

Arts and Sciences Division 

• Associate in Arts
• Associate in Fine Arts (AFA)
• Associate in Science
• Business Administration
• Criminal Justice
• Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education
• Logistics and Operations Management
• Nursing Assistant
• Visual Communication

Tuesday, December 16, 7 p.m.

This ceremony time is left open and will be filled if needed after the Intent to Walk Form submissions are counted.

• If you have questions regarding graduation requirements and credentials, please contact the Records Office. 270-534-3438 or ashley.neely@kctcs.edu.
• If you have questions about reserving tickets, please contact the Clemens Fine Arts Center Box Office. 270-534-3212 or julie.moore@kctcs.edu.
• If you have questions regarding commencement logistics, please contact marybeth.head@kctcs.edu.