[Vpaaetal] December 2005 Commencement

[Academic Affairs]

TO:                University Faculty and Professional Library Staff

 

FROM:          Joyce A. Scott, Provost

 

RE:                December 2005 Commencement

 

Several Colleagues have asked why we want to move December Commencement to
the Field House.  This note is to share some of the issues that prompted
this decision.  The Deans Council and I began discussing a consolidated
ceremony this past summer when we learned that there would be fewer than 30
students involved in one of the undergraduate ceremonies and relatively
small numbers in the other two.  We suggested a single undergradute ceremony
at that time. President McFarland was concerned that we not inconvenience
students and their families, so we went forward with four ceremonies.

 

My concern in all of this has been to generate a sense of community among
students and faculty--let's celebrate something important together!  We are
so dispersed as an academic community--by instructional sites, by modes of
delivery, by schedules, and by types of students, for example--that we are
losing our sense of common purpose and identity. Shortly, our marketing
agency will conduct focus groups on campus to help us resolve some of the
"image" and "identity" questions that affect so much our recruiting.   In
the meantime, for December here's the plan:

*	Undergraduate ceremony--10:00 AM in the Field House, 320 students
more or less seated on chairs on the arena floor, organized by College with
faculty marshalls for each.
*	Faculty will be seated on chairs in front of students or behind
them--question to go to the Deans Tuesday.
*	Hearing impaired will be seated in a special section, right near the
interpreter.
*	Students will line up on one side prior to the march, faculty on the
other.
*	Graduate ceremony will be at 2:30 because we have 23 doctoral
graduates, who will probably need a full two hours for lunch and
presentations.
*	We hope to offer the Reception for graduates and families at the
Founder's Lounge, much more suitable than under a tent, in December.

Other information that may be of interest, what we hoped to achieve:

*	Manage the attendance without distributing tickets, which is a
perpetual source of discontent for participants and their families.
*	Increase the number of seats available to family and friends of the
graduates.
*	Bring together all members of the December 2006 graduating class for
one final celebration. 
*	Bring together all members of the university community for this
important ceremony.
*	Increase the sense of collegiality among faculty and students.
*	Provide live music in the form of a student brass ensemble.
*	Ensure that all graduates have the opportunity to hear Jeana Yeager
and witness President McFarland award her the honorary doctorate.

Whatever your reservations, I hope you will join in this December
Commencement with good will and a positive attitude.  Your cooperation will
be very important in making the event a memorable one for our students and
their families.  I look forward to joining you for this occasion.  Should
you have questions, please contact me.  Thank you!

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