Split In Two
Graduation ceremony 2-day affair

By Olivia Tattory

Some of this year’s graduates may not walk with their classmates in May as the commencement ceremony is now split.

In an effort to accommodate College of Continuing Studies (CCS) and graduate students, Rider has separated the Lawrenceville commencement ceremonies between these two groups and undergraduates. The ceremony for CCS and graduate students will occur on Thursday night while the one for undergraduates will remain on Friday. The Princeton campus has always had its own commencement.

Several factors played a role in this decision and according to Christine Zelenak, director of the office of the president and executive assistant to the president, the idea of having two separate ceremonies was not a new one.

“There were several factors that led the Commencement Committee to explore separate commencement ceremonies as an alternative format,” Zelenak said. “It had been considered for a number of years.”

Last year’s commencement ceremony in particular was what prompted the
Commencement Committee to consider an alternative approach for future years. The forecasted rain for the day would have moved the ceremony inside, allowing each
student only two tickets for guests.

Because of the growing number of people attending graduation ceremonies in recent years, the possibility of inclement weather would make it difficult to accommodate all graduates and their families if the ceremony were moved indoors.

In addition, because many CCS and graduate students work a full-time job Monday through Friday, the traditional Friday morning commencement made it difficult for all
to attend.

“The committee therefore felt the need to explore alternative approaches to accommodate these students by planning a commencement event with their work schedules in mind,” Zelenak said.

Although this idea seems feasible for some, Felecia Bourjolly, a CCS liberal
studies major, would still prefer to walk with her undergraduate classmates.

“I do understand the logic in it in making it more convenient for people who have day jobs,” Bourjolly said. “But when I came to Rider, I was told I would march with everyone else. I don’t know why [CCS students] should be separate.”

An off-campus ceremony at the Sovereign Bank Arena was considered for a short period of time, until committee members “quickly rejected” the idea because of the tradition of commencement on campus grounds, Zelenak said.

All graduate and CCS students were polled in a survey given this past fall.
An overwhelming number of students responded in support of the proposal, 76 percent, and only 8 percent responded that they did not have a preference.
Although the majority of CCS and graduate students are pleased with the new ceremony, professors of both graduate and undergraduate classes may not be so content.

According to Donald Steven, provost and vice president of academic affairs, “faculty are not required to attend both ceremonies. They can attend one or the other.”

Dr. Kathleen Pierce, professor of graduate education, also teaches undergraduate courses. Pierce does not agree with the commencement separation and although she would like to attend both ceremonies, says she won’t because she will not have a
department to sit with during the Friday commencement.

Conversely, Dr. Sandra Stein, professor of graduate education, notes there are both advantages and disadvantages to the change.

“Both ceremonies will be shorter,” Stein said. “It will also allow [the professors] to
do things with the graduate students.”

The itinerary for both ceremonies will be the same including the presence of the president, provost, deans, trustees, faculty and staff.

“The uniqueness of each population” will be recognized, Zelenak said. Class speakers will be selected from among the graduating students in each commencement and the honorary degree recipient of each event will be asked to speak at the
ceremony.

“Each ceremony will have its own class speaker, to further personalize each
ceremony,” Zelenak said.

In the event of severe weather, each student will be provided with four tickets, instead of the two with past commencement plans.

Although this is true, Melissa Vidam, a second-year graduate student in the community-counseling program, says she is not a fan of the decision to separate the two ceremonies. In fact, Vidam will be unable to participate in the graduate commencement for her own graduation in May of 2008.

“Due to my job as a graduate assistant I cannot participate in the graduation ceremony for graduate students,” Vidam said. “I run senior week, which begins May 9 [through] May 11. I was told I can just walk with the undergraduates on Friday, which I would prefer to do since I work so closely with all of them.”

During a time when the unification of the University is on the administration’s agenda, this separation has raised questions among the faculty.

“We’re one university, we’ve spent enough time apart,” Pierce said. “[Graduation] is really about celebration for the whole community. We don’t have any ritual where we’re united.”