Editorial:
Split graduations

Odds are the paths we have taken that led us to Rider have been different. You may have walked into Rider perhaps as a shy and anxious freshman, now leaving as a confident leader ready to take on the challenge of the real world. Or maybe you transferred, capitalizing on a new opportunity and a chance to fulfill a desire for further knowledge. Perhaps you came from the corporate world in pursuit of an MBA. Amid all this diversity, there is one day that traditionally brought the entire Lawrenceville campus community together — commencement.

But that is about to change, big time. The decision to split graduate and CCS degree-giving into its own separate ceremony has merit — and some shortcomings. Even though 35 percent of 191 undergraduates polled by The Rider News don’t care about the separation, we believe it is important to consider the implications. The timing of the graduate and CCS student graduation will allow those with full-time jobs to attend the ceremony at 5:30 p.m., without having to take a whole day off from work. And maybe it will shorten the length of the overly long undergraduate ceremony. But in the grand scheme of things, will a few minutes make a real difference? And if it’s easier for working people to get to an evening event than a midday one, isn’t that also true for many parents of undergraduates? These reasons seem a little thin.

There are others justifying what the administration promises is a fundamental change for the better. In case the ceremony is moved indoors because of bad weather, each graduate would now be able to have four guests instead of two. Additionally, a member of each graduating class will address his or her respective commencement ceremony, allowing for a more personalized program. But to better understand the value of the change, one undeniable question remains ­— is a separation for logistics or convenience worth sacrificing the spirit of unity that Rider has worked so hard to cement?

The journey in college creates enough memories to last a lifetime. But the feeling of accomplishment goes beyond the rush of adrenaline when walking across the stage at the commencement ceremony to receive your degree. It’s about celebrating the milestone with the family who helped you through the hardest days and cheered you on in your successes. It’s about sharing this achievement with your peers who are also graduating with you.
Yet this new tradition for graduation will have a lasting ripple effect. Take into account that 15 percent of undergraduates and 29 percent of graduate and CCS students polled do not agree. Some even wrote emphatic objections on their polls.

Faculty face an even bigger predicament. Professors will have to choose which ceremony to attend even though they may have students in both ceremonies they are close to.
The more important question to consider spears the heart of this matter. What happened to the “one university” theme the administration has been pleading for students, faculty and community to adopt? Working to bring the Lawrenceville and Princeton campuses closer together is a prominent step in the right direction in supporting this ideal. However, dividing the commencement ceremony is likely to undermine the goal.