Bailey Porter
Editorial Director
Seniors planning on walking in the graduation ceremony this spring might be in for a surprise because of a policy change allowing only seniors who have completed all units required for graduation to walk.
Students must be registered for all their final courses for the spring semester in order to participate in the graduation ceremony in May.
That means students can no longer walk if they are short units even if they plan on completing those units in summer school.
The policy was voted on last year by the faculty with the goal of making commencement about completion, said Eric Bishop, associate dean, academic support and retention/matriculation services.
“It should be a personal decision if students want to finish those last units,” said freshman legal studies major Lauren Sorsby.
“The diploma will get the job, not the walk. But it’s about going through the experience with people you have worked hard with throughout the four years,” she said.
Although the policy was announced to students via letters from the registrar, Associate Registrar Mark McKellip said he is afraid students are still unaware of the change.
“I don’t know why word hasn’t gotten out but it’s mostly word of mouth,” he said.
Bishop predicts this first year will be a difficult adjustment, especially for the students who are planning to walk but are a handful of units short.
However, there are options in place to help students make the adjustment.
The University provides students with overload options so they can take more than the 17-unit limit for a given semester, Bishop said.
Also, the CLEP and DANTE exams administered through CAPA once a month can be taken in place of some classes.
Classes at junior colleges are also acceptable.
Now that a winter ceremony is also available to graduating students, more students who need one or two classes beyond the spring semester of their senior year will be able to walk within a reasonable time upon completion, McKellip said.
With the new policy, Bishop said the hope is for a greater number of students actually finishing their degrees.
McKellip said one out of every 10 graduates does not return to complete their degrees after they have walked.
Freshmen are already concerned about fulfilling their graduation requirements.
“If I have to take summer school going into my senior year, I will. I’ll have to stick it out, get a loan and make sure I graduate in the spring,” said freshman psychology major Erica Boyd.
Bailey Porter can be reached at porterb@ulv.edu.
