BINGHAMTON, NY -- More than 840 students, including 51 doctoral candidates, have completed the requirements to receive their degrees at Binghamton University this fall. Of those eligible, more than 450, 34 of them doctoral candidates, will walk across the stage during the University’s final Fall Commencement ceremony at noon Sunday, Dec. 20, in the Events Center.

This Fall Commencement will be the final one for Binghamton University. The University has held a Fall Commencement since 2007.

"Between the expense, the sizable staff support required, the vagaries of December weather and the number of students who opt to participate, we believe that it is wise to join many of our peer institutions who do not offer Fall Commencement or who have cancelled them," said Donald Nieman, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

Senior Joshua Wallenstein will represent all of the graduates as student speaker. A Binghamton native, Wallenstein transferred to Binghamton University in spring 2012. Aside from it being close to home, he chose Binghamton for its wide variety of majors and student groups that it offered, and chose to pursue his degree in human development.

"I'd been told that you get out of college what you put into it, and I knew that coming to Binghamton, I was bound to find something to throw myself into," said Wallenstein. "At first, I wasn't sure about the size of the school, it being much larger than I was searching for. However, I grew to enjoy the bit of anonymity, and the opportunity to meet someone new every day."