Homecoming will return next fall, Principal Daniel Woolf announced at a news conference this morning.

The decision comes after 16 months of consultation with the City, alumni, students and administration, Woolf told the Journal following the announcement.

“The discussions were first and foremost how we could bring the event back and keep all of the traditions we like but not the problems we’ve seen in the past five or six years, such as the street party,” he said. “It’s been very much a team effort.”

The main determining factor for bringing back the event was student’s behaviour this past fall, Woolf said.

“There has been a succession of diminution of the trouble that we’ve seen in previous years,” he said. “I think students and alumni got the message and we are delighted that we had a quiet fall.”

Though details for the event have yet to be worked out, Woolf confirmed that it will take place over two different weekends: Oct. 4 for those celebrating anniversaries ending in a 5 and Oct. 19 for those celebrating anniversaries ending in a 0.

Both weekends will feature home football games.

Woolf said splitting Homecoming into two events will combat the number of visitors drawn to Kingston.

“By splitting it up into two we will have a much more cohesive spread and have two fun weekends instead of one,” he said.

The event will also see more events geared toward alumni and student interaction, networking and career advice.

Although it will be back in 2013, Homecoming has yet to be permanently reinstated. Whether the event will continue beyond next year depends on student’s behaviour next year.

“It will depend on full cooperation of students, alumni and community,” he said during his announcement. “We want to make sure it’s as safe as it is celebratory.”