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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" color="#000000" style="font-size:11pt"><b>From:</b> Jodi Clowes<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, January 07, 2015 5:39 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Amy I Flick<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Memorandum to YSU Academic Senate from Interim Provost Abraham</font>
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<div style="font-family:Calibri"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Times New Roman" style="font-size:16px">Please read the following memorandum from Interim Provost Abraham. We apologize if you have already received a copy of this email.</font></div>
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<b style="font-size:18px">To: YSU Academic Senate</b></p>
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<b style="font-size:18px">From:<span> </span>Martin Abraham, Interim Provost</b></p>
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<b style="font-size:18px">Re:<span> </span>Proposal for providing more robust and meaningful commencement exercises</b></p>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px">The spring commencement activities involve two ceremonies; one very large ceremony for undergraduate students in the morning and a small ceremony for graduate students in the afternoon.<span> </span>As
an alternative, it is suggested that the spring commencement be divided into two ceremonies of roughly equal size and distinction. Three colleges (including their graduate students) will graduate in the morning; the other three colleges will graduate in the
afternoon.</span></p>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px">By separating our spring commencement along college lines, we create opportunity for those students completing degree requirements to walk in the spring commencement exercises.<span> </span>We have reviewed
this with the registrar’s office and others involved with commencement activities and it is technically feasible to identify students who would be eligible to graduate in summer and invite them to attend spring commencement. Thus, it is also proposed to eliminate
summer commencement and allow those students graduating in the summer to attend commencement either the spring prior to their graduation or the fall following.</span></p>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px">Benefits:</span></p>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px"><span><span>·<span style="font:normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>Two roughly equal size commencements in spring.<span> </span>Each will be slightly larger than
the fall commencement.</span></p>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px"><span><span>·<span style="font:normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>All students have an opportunity to attend a robust ceremony, with both undergraduate and graduate
students commencing together and a recognizable speaker.</span></p>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px"><span><span>·<span style="font:normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>No restriction to the number of guests an undergraduate student may invite to their spring ceremony.</span></p>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px"><span><span>·<span style="font:normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>Summer graduates can select from either the spring or fall commencement ceremony.</span></p>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px">Drawbacks:</span></p>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px"><span><span>·<span style="font:normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>Summer graduates will attend a ceremony at a different time from completing their degree requirements.</span></p>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px"><span><span>·<span style="font:normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'"> </span></span></span>Systems need to be adapted to accommodate the proposed change.</span></p>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:18px">The Academic Events committee of the Academic Senate is responsible for making recommendations regarding academic events such as graduation ceremonies.<span> </span>We would welcome your input prior to
my meeting with this committee, scheduled on Monday, January 12.<span> </span>You can send comments to me at <a href="mailto:martin.abraham@ysu.edu" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline">martin.abraham@ysu.edu</a>, or to Taci Turel, chair of the committee,
at <a href="mailto:tturel@ysu.edu" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline">tturel@ysu.edu</a>.<span> </span></span></p>
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