The TD Banknorth Sports Center will play host to Quinnipiac’s Commencement ceremonies starting in 2010, according to Lynn Bushnell, vice president for public affairs.

Along with the change of scenery, Quinnipiac will be holding two ceremonies. One will be for students graduating from the Schools of Business and Communications, and another later in the day for the School of Health Sciences and the College of Arts and sciences.

“The main reason was to try and make it a better experience for the students and their families,” Bushnell said. “The size of the commencement that we have has grown to 12 or 13 thousand people attending. That has created huge traffic problems, and people have had to get here really early. We think that by moving indoors and to two ceremonies, they’re going to have a much better experience for families at their child’s graduation.”

Another change will be the elimination of a keynote speaker.

“They do add value to the ceremony, but we think that the more important message for students is going to come from people they already know,” Bushnell said.

But the Commencement Committee is looking to increase a sense of tradition in the ceremony.

We have talked some about increasing pomp and traditions that go along with the ceremony,” Bushnell said. “In year’s past, we have stripped away some of the traditions because the ceremony was growing so long. We’ve tried to return some of those types of things back to the ceremony, like the singing of the alma mater.”

Four tickets will be given to each student in the basketball arena. There will be seating for additional family in the hockey arena, as a large screen will be set up with a live video stream of the ceremony.