Graduation from a post-secondary school should be something that a college student dreams about. The day where they will don their well-earned cap and gown, march to “Pomp and Circumstance” on their way to receiving that coveted $100,000 piece of paper. As their classmates toss up their motorboards in celebration, they can revel in the fact that they have completed four years of higher education, and should they choose, never step inside a classroom again.
Unless that student happens to belong to a select group of people known as December graduates.
There’s no shame in having taken a little bit of extra time to complete one’s schooling, nor should students feel like they are being rambunctious for choosing to overload on credits to be finished a semester early. Now, more than ever, students are considering it virtually impossible to complete their undergraduate degree in the time frame of four years. A prolonged education used to be stereotypical of a slacking student, otherwise known as a “Van Wilder,” a movie of the same name that is centered around a 7th year senior who refuses to graduate. However, there are many elements that can leading to a later graduation date. For transfer students, it is almost guaranteed that not every single credit will count at their new institution. Education majors at Plymouth State University are required to spend at least one semester student teaching, so while many are finished with their required classes on time, they are not technically finished until they have completed their teaching hours.
A December graduate a few years ago at PSU basically had no option. According to Betty Reeg at Undergraduate Studies, for a long time students were only allowed to walk in a commencement ceremony after they had completed all of their requirements. This meant that for whatever reason, if a student had to prolong their education another semester further, they were denied a ceremony of any kind because they had not finished by May of their supposed graduation year. They were also not permitted to walk in the following May.
“Many students were upset about not walking and there were a lot of bad feelings,” said Reeg. The degrees also follow a strict schedule, and were only awarded in May, meaning students that were finished in December would not receive their diploma for six months, making it very difficult for finding jobs.
It was then that PSU decided to allow an optional graduation ceremony chosen at the student’s convenience. If a student still needed to complete credits after the fact, they were allowed to walk on their supposed graduation date. However, they would not receive their diploma until all of the required credits were completed. Many students were satisfied because they were able to walk with their friends and it gave the proud parents the opportunity to witness their child’s achievement. It was also decided that degrees would be awarded three times per year, in May, August and December.
While students are now never denied a commencement ceremony, there are still issues for people that are December graduates that choose to walk either the semester before or after their completion of college. While many people walk a semester early with the intention of graduating with friends, there is still the thought in one’s mind that in three months they must return again to continue on their way towards their diploma. Many students find this emotionally dissatisfying because it’s almost as if they get to “make believe” that college is over, only to return and do it all again. If a student chooses to wait and walk a semester later, it imposes the threat that by then, students may have moved away or have gotten jobs. It is impossible to predict what one would be doing in six months, which makes it hard to plan for the graduate.
But what if there were another option available to this group of students that don’t seem to fit into either ceremony? Many schools around the country hold commencement ceremonies in December solely to recognize students that have followed that path. At Cornell University, their December ceremony is “Characterized by a similar processional as the May commencement, but smaller and more personal.” While Cornell does have significantly more students than PSU, the number of undergraduates that participated was around 270, which is only slightly larger than the amount of Plymouth students that are registered as December graduates, which now stands at 229. Cornell claims their ceremony to be, “An intimate affair- though no less meaningful to the graduates.”
Up until now, PSU has surprisingly had very little interest in a December ceremony. “In the 19 years that I have worked here, I have probably only had two parents call and ask about it,” said Reeg. The idea was investigated about ten or 15 years ago, according to John P. Clarke, the Director of Athletics, who has also played in pivotal role in commencement for the past 40 years. “We took a survey and didn’t get a positive response,” he said.
Although there hasn’t been a strong desire from students, a December ceremony could possibly aid some of the issues that occur with the May commencement. Approximately 700 graduates walk in the spring. If 200 of them had the option to walk in December and chose to do so, that would cut down on the amount of people present in May. “Inclement weather is a huge problem,” said Clarke. “You tend to have less of a problem with smaller numbers.” Currently, students are allowed four tickets for family members if it rains. That many people start to add up when squeezed into a tight auditorium. A smaller setting would be ideal for students and families that would rather not deal with crowds, parking issues and lodging.
Another positive point is the recognition that students would receive. “For those few students who cannot make it, it would be very nice for them to have this option,” said Clarke. Students would be able to still experience the achievement one feels for such a momentous occasion, regardless of how long it took them to reach it.
Of course, there are downsides as well, which may support the reasoning behind why there hasn’t been a December graduation in the history of PSU. The first is that there has been little to no interest from students in pursuing a December commencement. “I think it would be a lovely idea,” said Sonya Grabauskas, Senior Class President, “but it seems like the majority of students want the big ceremony.”
Another issue relies on the scheduling of finals. Last semester, PSU finals were in session until December 22. For a ceremony to have taken place after that would run the risk of cutting into student and faculty’s holiday time. “Getting the faculty to come back would be difficult,” said Reeg. She felt that students have never completely understood how many people are a part of commencement. Since faculty are a crucial part to any school’s graduation ceremony, the PSU schedule makes it difficult to be able to squeeze it in between finals and holidays. “Not that it couldn’t be handled,” she said. “But it’s a very difficult time of year.”
Although there could be many possible reasons to disregard the idea of a commencement for December graduates, faculty and students remain optimistic that a change is not unreasonable. “If those couple hundred students were all interested, you could definitely make it happen,” said Grabauskas. “I think it would be simple. The May graduation is huge. It takes a whole year to plan. This could be easy.”
In order for a December graduation to be a possibility, there would have to be a strong reaction from faculty, staff and students. “If it was a significant number it would add some legitimacy to concept,” said Clarke. “I’d be happy to be involved, but it comes down to how many people would commit.”
Grabauskas encourages students who are interested to pursue this as a goal for the future. She has asked that anyone who is interested or has input on the situation, e-mail her at sagrabauskas@plymouth.edu.