PFW nixes traditional graduation ceremony Cites numbers, plans 'graduation parade' ASHLEY SLOBODA | The Journal Gazette The region's largest university won't be honoring its 2021 graduates with its traditional in-person ceremony at Memorial Coliseum. Such a gathering isn't a safe or responsible option, Ronald Elsenbaumer, chancellor of Purdue University Fort Wayne, said Wednesday in an email to campus. “While Indiana's restrictions on gatherings and crowd density have eased slightly during the past several weeks, a traditional commencement ceremony is just not feasible for an institution of our size,” Elsenbaumer said. The ceremony was last held in May 2019. In that year, about 1,640 graduates from both Purdue Fort Wayne and Indiana University Fort Wayne were honored, and friends and family packed the venue.