YSU reduces annual commencements from three to two

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State University is reducing the number of yearly commencement ceremonies from three to two.

“There’s been a feeling on campus that we needed to look at commencement, just like we need to look at all operations on campus, to try to see if there was a way to make it a better, more meaningful experience and more special for everyone involved,” said Ron Cole, a YSU spokesman.

The summer commencement, formerly conducted in August, will be eliminated. Those students will be able to choose whether to participate in commencement exercises in either May or December.

“We believe this new schedule will provide a more enhanced and distinct commencement for all of our graduates, their families and friends,” Martin Abraham, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, said in a news release.

Cole said there may be some nominal cost savings with the change, but that wasn’t the motivating factor.

The change has been approved by the university’s academic senate.

The May commencement is the university’s largest and, historically, a morning ceremony was planned for undergraduates with an afternoon fete for graduate students.

Two May services will still be observed, but the division will be based on colleges rather than undergraduate and graduate, Cole said. One ceremony in the spring, when most students graduate, would be too large.

At 10 a.m. May 16, ceremonies will be for undergraduate and graduate students in the Beeghly College of Education, Williamson College of Business Administration and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

At 2:30 p.m. the same day, ceremonies will be for undergraduate and graduate students in the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and the College of Creative Arts and Communication.

Having graduate and undergraduate students participate in the same ceremony is a way to show the undergraduates that education may continue beyond securing an undergraduate degree, Cole said.

The fall commencement, at 2 p.m. Dec. 13, combines graduate and undergraduate students from all six colleges.

“We were trying to find a way where everyone could participate in an equally robust sort of event and share an equally full commencement experience,” Cole said. “That was the goal, and we believe this plan does that.”

The university also is revamping its annual Honors Convocation.

The April convocation recognizes distinguished faculty and students. This year, YSU will instead conduct six separate ceremonies, one for each of the colleges. A separate ceremony will be conducted to present Distinguished Professor Awards to outstanding faculty.

“It’s a big deal for students to be recognized at Honors Convocation, and it’s quite an honor for faculty to be held up as distinguished professors,” Abraham said in the release. “We believe this new schedule allows us to better celebrate these accomplishments.”