Students will now have the opportunity to display their organizational accomplishments at graduation as result of the Faculty Senate’s decision to create an additional honors ceremony for commencement.
Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope said the additional program should be implemented by the May 2011 Commencement.
“There will be a separate ceremony, probably the day before, in which recipients will have the opportunity to be recognized by the University,” Cope said.
The Faculty Senate adopted a memorandum in early October limiting the cords, ribbons and stoles worn during the main graduation ceremony. The resolution said students may only wear academic-based regalia from the University, excluding college and organizational adornments.
The Faculty Senate decided to allow only items from the African American Cultural Center, Latin honors and National Honor Societies like Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi.
The Student Government Senate debated the issue and opposed the memorandum, passing a resolution Oct. 6 that honored all departamental awards.
“It’s our day — we are commemorating ourselves,” SG President J Hudson said before the SG Senate on Oct. 6.
Cope said he has met with student representatives, like College of Humanities and Social Sciences Sen. Brandon Jones, and they seem comfortable with the idea.
But not all students agree.
“J and I don’t feel it’s a good idea,” said SG Vice President Dani Borel. “I don’t think it is relative to students, and it defeats the point.”
Borel said the extra program takes away from wearing the adornments at the University’s official graduation ceremony, and it is “too much.”
“The commencement is firmly in the hands of the Faculty Senate,” Cope said. “We welcome input and advice from the Student Government association, but it is not a determining factor.”
Stacia Haynie, vice provost for Academic Affairs, said the Office of Academic Affairs respects the Faculty Senate’s review of the commencement process.
 
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Contact Sydni Dunn at [email protected]