Proposals for Changing AU Graduation Ceremonies
Issue date: 3/1/03 Section: From WCL
MEMORANDUM
February 5, 2003
TO: AU Campus Community
FROM: Benjamin Ladner
SUBJECT: Proposals for Changing AU Graduation Ceremonies
We received a wide range of opinions in response to my earlier campus memo on restructuring the AU graduation ceremonies. It is clear that a great many members of the AU community-students, faculty, and staff-took the issues seriously and offered interesting and creative approaches to address the issues we're trying to solve while also improving the ceremonies. I am grateful for the many suggestions we received.
As stated in the memo, for several years we have been trying to relieve increasing pressures related to the following issues: 1) the growing size of the graduating classes, with increasing numbers of guests; 2) the unpopularity of having to limit the number of guests at ceremonies; 3) limited space in Bender Arena and other gathering spaces on campus; 4) the difficulty of attracting appropriate speakers for five separate ceremonies; 5) an increasingly crowded schedule of eventsduring commencement weekend; 6) limited parking space; 7) a desire expressed by some to have a single,unified ceremony.
Options and Challenges
Individuals throughout the university proposed a range of possible solutions. Not surprisingly, with almost every option there is an attendant challenge. Some of these are listed below.
a. A single outdoor ceremony on campus. Challenges: space for participants and guests; parking space; inadequate support facilities; no alternative space for weather emergencies; no walking across stage; most graduate students expressed a desire for a smaller ceremony with students in their program.
b. A single outdoor ceremony off campus. Challenges: parents not on campus; no breakout space for individual schools and colleges; no walking across stage; no alternative space for weather emergencies; subject to venue contingencies beyond our control; transportation and parking for 15,000 or more people.
c. A single indoor ceremony off campus. Challenges: cancellation due to sports and other events; no walking across stage; parents not on campus; no breakout space for individual schools and colleges; transportation and parking for 15,000 or more people.
d. An undergraduate convocation. Challenges: must be held outdoors, with problems cited above; uncertain attendance-most will attend only the graduation ceremony; parking space; added logistical challenge for staff. A majority of undergraduate students who responded to the memo indicated that this was not the most important priority for them.
e. Six ceremonies (one for each school and college). Challenges: adds to already crowded schedule; logistical challenges for staff; counter to an undergraduate preference to be together as a graduating class.
Schedule and Format of May 2003 Graduation Ceremonies
As we examined these and other alternatives to our present set-up, some changes seemed potentially to be more effective in relieving the pressures and meeting the needs outlined above. However, the logistical planning to ensure that the changes could be implemented without unpredictable difficulties that could adversely affect the positive involvement of the participants and guests became increasingly complex, and unlikely, in the time we have to prepare for the May 2003 ceremonies.
Therefore, the schedule and format of the May 2003 ceremonies will be the same as last year-with one exception. We will change the pairings of schools and colleges for two of the ceremonies in order to balance the distribution of the numbers of graduates in each ceremony. While we hope this reconfiguration will reduce the potential for over crowding, ticketing for some ceremonies may still be required depending on the number of graduates who plan to participate. The schedule, format, and new school/college pairings will be as follows:
May 2003 Ceremonies
As announced earlier, two policy changes will take effect with the upcoming May 2003 ceremonies.
a. Students will not be permitted to participate in a graduation ceremony unless they have completed all course and credit requirements for their undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree.
b. After the winter 2003 commencement, we will no longer hold a mid-year winter graduation ceremony. Persons completing degree requirements at the end of the summer or fall semesters will be eligible to participate in the spring ceremonies.
With respect to item "a" above, several challenges were identified that make it reasonable to regard the May 2003 ceremonies as a transition year with a view toward full implementation of the policy in May 2004. Some pre-scheduled program sequences are in place that will need an additional year before they can be altered to align with the May graduation deadline. Also, there are a few unusual hardship cases that had already been planned for accommodation based on the previous policy. Therefore, the deans, in collaboration with the provost, will grant a few exceptions for the May 2003 ceremonies, based on these kinds of circumstances. The policy will be fully implemented in May 2004, which will allow an extra year for personal and programmatic planning.
Washington College of Law Ceremony
Like the other five schools and colleges in the university, the Washington College of Law will hold its May 2003 ceremony according to the same schedule and format as last spring. However, because the law school has a different profile of students and programs and because of its size, during the coming year we will be working to address several issues identified in response to the recent memo, especially those raised by the elimination of the university's winter commencement and the development of a different schedule and format of the university's graduation ceremonies. For example, because of the unusually large enrollment of international students in programs designed specifically to attract such students, it may be important to create a different mid-year recognition event for students who have completed their course work and are eligible to participate in the spring ceremony.
Thank you for your thoughtful response to this complicated but significant issue. I will appreciate your continued advice as we evaluate options and work through logistical alternatives to try to improve our annual graduation celebrations.
February 5, 2003
TO: AU Campus Community
FROM: Benjamin Ladner
SUBJECT: Proposals for Changing AU Graduation Ceremonies
We received a wide range of opinions in response to my earlier campus memo on restructuring the AU graduation ceremonies. It is clear that a great many members of the AU community-students, faculty, and staff-took the issues seriously and offered interesting and creative approaches to address the issues we're trying to solve while also improving the ceremonies. I am grateful for the many suggestions we received.
As stated in the memo, for several years we have been trying to relieve increasing pressures related to the following issues: 1) the growing size of the graduating classes, with increasing numbers of guests; 2) the unpopularity of having to limit the number of guests at ceremonies; 3) limited space in Bender Arena and other gathering spaces on campus; 4) the difficulty of attracting appropriate speakers for five separate ceremonies; 5) an increasingly crowded schedule of eventsduring commencement weekend; 6) limited parking space; 7) a desire expressed by some to have a single,unified ceremony.
Options and Challenges
Individuals throughout the university proposed a range of possible solutions. Not surprisingly, with almost every option there is an attendant challenge. Some of these are listed below.
a. A single outdoor ceremony on campus. Challenges: space for participants and guests; parking space; inadequate support facilities; no alternative space for weather emergencies; no walking across stage; most graduate students expressed a desire for a smaller ceremony with students in their program.
b. A single outdoor ceremony off campus. Challenges: parents not on campus; no breakout space for individual schools and colleges; no walking across stage; no alternative space for weather emergencies; subject to venue contingencies beyond our control; transportation and parking for 15,000 or more people.
c. A single indoor ceremony off campus. Challenges: cancellation due to sports and other events; no walking across stage; parents not on campus; no breakout space for individual schools and colleges; transportation and parking for 15,000 or more people.
d. An undergraduate convocation. Challenges: must be held outdoors, with problems cited above; uncertain attendance-most will attend only the graduation ceremony; parking space; added logistical challenge for staff. A majority of undergraduate students who responded to the memo indicated that this was not the most important priority for them.
e. Six ceremonies (one for each school and college). Challenges: adds to already crowded schedule; logistical challenges for staff; counter to an undergraduate preference to be together as a graduating class.
Schedule and Format of May 2003 Graduation Ceremonies
As we examined these and other alternatives to our present set-up, some changes seemed potentially to be more effective in relieving the pressures and meeting the needs outlined above. However, the logistical planning to ensure that the changes could be implemented without unpredictable difficulties that could adversely affect the positive involvement of the participants and guests became increasingly complex, and unlikely, in the time we have to prepare for the May 2003 ceremonies.
Therefore, the schedule and format of the May 2003 ceremonies will be the same as last year-with one exception. We will change the pairings of schools and colleges for two of the ceremonies in order to balance the distribution of the numbers of graduates in each ceremony. While we hope this reconfiguration will reduce the potential for over crowding, ticketing for some ceremonies may still be required depending on the number of graduates who plan to participate. The schedule, format, and new school/college pairings will be as follows:
May 2003 Ceremonies
As announced earlier, two policy changes will take effect with the upcoming May 2003 ceremonies.
a. Students will not be permitted to participate in a graduation ceremony unless they have completed all course and credit requirements for their undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree.
b. After the winter 2003 commencement, we will no longer hold a mid-year winter graduation ceremony. Persons completing degree requirements at the end of the summer or fall semesters will be eligible to participate in the spring ceremonies.
With respect to item "a" above, several challenges were identified that make it reasonable to regard the May 2003 ceremonies as a transition year with a view toward full implementation of the policy in May 2004. Some pre-scheduled program sequences are in place that will need an additional year before they can be altered to align with the May graduation deadline. Also, there are a few unusual hardship cases that had already been planned for accommodation based on the previous policy. Therefore, the deans, in collaboration with the provost, will grant a few exceptions for the May 2003 ceremonies, based on these kinds of circumstances. The policy will be fully implemented in May 2004, which will allow an extra year for personal and programmatic planning.
Washington College of Law Ceremony
Like the other five schools and colleges in the university, the Washington College of Law will hold its May 2003 ceremony according to the same schedule and format as last spring. However, because the law school has a different profile of students and programs and because of its size, during the coming year we will be working to address several issues identified in response to the recent memo, especially those raised by the elimination of the university's winter commencement and the development of a different schedule and format of the university's graduation ceremonies. For example, because of the unusually large enrollment of international students in programs designed specifically to attract such students, it may be important to create a different mid-year recognition event for students who have completed their course work and are eligible to participate in the spring ceremony.
Thank you for your thoughtful response to this complicated but significant issue. I will appreciate your continued advice as we evaluate options and work through logistical alternatives to try to improve our annual graduation celebrations.