OU should not do away with the December convocation
ceremonies.

“Allowing multiple convocations, which has become in
essence substitute commencement ceremonies, diminishes the
important of the single commencement ceremony which brings together
the entire university community,” OU President David L. Boren
said. This was the reason he gave for the ceremonies’
cancellation.

December graduates do have the option of walking in the spring
graduation but they will have to walk a full semester after they
have finished school. Graduates will probably have moved on with
their lives at this time and may not have the time or money to come
back to Norman to walk in a ceremony several months after
they’ve graduated. They will have already received their
diploma at this time and many may feel walking in spring graduation
at this time would be pointless.

How many students will want to come back to school and walk in
graduation after they have left school and gone on with their
lives?

Many out-of-state, and especially international students, will
probably be robbed of a graduation ceremony.

If the December convocation is going to be done away with there
should have been plenty of notice. As of now, students who were
planning to graduate in December are finding out with less than two
months’ notice that they cannot walk in a December
convocation ceremony.

This could leave some students in a bad position to scramble to
change plans that they’ve made for family members to come in
for the event.

This also comes only days after the College of Arts and Sciences
was granted a December convocation. Why is this so sudden? Why
can’t this go into effect next fall?

The decision to cancel fall convocation ceremonies affects 800
students. They deserve to have the option of walking in a ceremony
at the time of their graduation.
hello there & you too