In a reversal of a policy announced last semester, colleges may hold convocation ceremonies for December graduates, OU officials said Monday.

The deans of the affected colleges, who learned of the new policy Monday afternoon, must notify the Graduation Office of plans for December 2005 ceremonies by March 4, Graduation Office Director Becky Heeney said in an e-mail.

"Some colleges have held December convocations in the past and may continue to do so, if approved through the convocation application and approval process," Graduation Office Associate Director Jay Corwin said in an e-mail.

The policy on recognition of December graduates has changed several times since OU President David L. Boren announced last semester that he would cancel fall convocations because they were never approved and didn't bring OU together the way a single commencement ceremony does.

"Convocations were never intended to become substitute graduation ceremonies," Boren said in an October press release.

After the announcement, some students whose convocations had been canceled held petition drives to protest the new policy. In response to student reaction and some parents' complaints that they had already made plans to attend December ceremonies, Boren reinstated the December 2004 convocations as a "one-time exception."

The newest policy will allow December convocations as long as colleges contact the Graduation Office to go through the application and approval process for their ceremonies. It will also allow summer 2005 graduates to participate in the May 2005 ceremonies and invite December 2005 graduates to walk in the May 2006 commencement.

The changes had caused some confusion among administrators.

Before the new policy was announced, Mary Stevens, alumni and special events coordinator for the Michael F. Price College of Business, said she didn't know whether to tell December 2005 graduates to participate in the May 2005 or May 2006 ceremonies.

"We haven't really advised them anything at this point," Stevens said. "As soon as we get some direction, we're going to proceed accordingly."

Some OU deans said their colleges would take the changes into account when planning upcoming graduation ceremonies.

"That is something we will be discussing," said Paul Bell, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Bell said the college's first December ceremony, which was held last year, was well-received and may be repeated under the new rules.

"I think our December convocation went off quite well," he said.

Charles Self, dean of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, said fall convocations were good experiences, and administrators will discuss bringing them back.

"I think we certainly would look into the possibility," Self said.

Some students said the permanent cancellation of December convocations would have prevented them from participating in a ceremony.

Julia Smith, a letters and zoology senior who plans to graduate in December 2005, said she wouldn't have come back to OU for a ceremony months after her graduation.

"I'd probably skip it," she said. "I'd prefer to have it in December when I graduate."

Lance Thomas, public information officer for the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, said the 115 or so journalism graduates who participated in December convocation last year probably wouldn't have returned for a May ceremony.

"[Students] complete their schoolwork, and they get jobs," Thomas said. "It makes it more difficult for those students who have moved on to participate."

Thomas said commencement and convocation ceremonies are a way to give students good memories of their years at OU.

"That's one of my favorite parts of my job," he said. "At the end of the day, it comes back to a student receiving a degree."
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