Can't walk in 07 commencement at Excelsior with traditional spring semester classes.

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Sindaena, May 11, 2007.

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  1. Sindaena

    Sindaena New Member

    While I realize that many ways of earning credit at Excelsior have no connection at all to the traditional school calendar, I still find it strange and disheartening that you cannot be approved to participate in the July commencement ceremony if you have used traditional spring calendar courses the in the graduation year.

    Wouldn't it make sense to structure commencement so that traditional spring calendar classes, which end in the first two weeks of May, could be evaluated for the purpose of attending commencement? A ceremony more than a year after completing all work would seem rather anticlimatic and pointless. While some people will miss the deadline no matter how it is structured, it doesnt make sense to structure it to exclude traditional schedule spring classes.

    Am I off base here?

    Elizabeth
     
  2. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member


    No, that has been a common complaint, and quite understandable.


    Abner
     
  3. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    No, your complaint is not off-base. The big question is why any school, especially a non-traditional school, doesn't have commencement ceremonies after every semester/quarter.
     
  4. CargoJon

    CargoJon New Member

    At Phoenix, I walked in commencement in May, and my last class was finished in early June. Their policy is that if you are within 9 credits of completion, you may walk in the commencement ceremony.

    I understand your frustration and agree with it completely.
     
  5. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    I get your frustration, but go to the next commencement anyways...it's worth it and not really anticlimatic at all IMHO. I attended mine this last weekend and I finished school in Nov. of 06. After being there with my family it was all worth it and really fueled my desire to get it going for my grad degree.
     
  6. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    My Charter Oak commencement was eleven months after I finished my last undergraduate course. I didn't go. I suppose, though, that I wouldn't have gone even if it had been right afterward. I'm very much on the fence about going to my one for GW next year, even though it's right across the river.

    Now, my doctoral one, that I'll attend, even though I expect it to be halfway around the world. :)

    Perhaps I feel less excited about them because when I was at Keiser University and Southeastern University, I had to help put them on. If you go to a lot of them, the magic sort of wears off. Or hey, maybe I'm just a grump.

    -=Steve=-
     
  7. buckwheat3

    buckwheat3 Master of the Obvious

    While I enjoyed the graduation ceremony the whole affair was very anti-climatic for me.
    I guess was expecting to feel a little different, when I walked across the stage but nothing happened. I didn’t grow six inches taller, my wife was still pregnant, and it was still raining outside on that cold, Friday 13th, December day.

    I could not tell you what all was said during commencement, just some of the highlights, but my mind did begin to wander about a few things while in the auditorium:

    I liked the learning environment, it was a different group of people, students and professors alike were self motivated, most were intelligent without being arrogant and also willing to help. Conversations during class, whether online or in the class room were interesting and stimulating….boy oh boy was I going to miss all of this!

    Going through the whole degree program, I had seen many people come and go, and the ones who toughed it out eventually became a core group of people; whittled down within my major. These were familiar faces and I got to know many of them; their dreams, their jobs, kids etc.. Many professors I got to know and liked too….and all of this was quickly coming to an end.

    After the ceremony I spoke to some friends I had made, and also to some great professors. I have ran into a few students and professors since and it is always great moment. While others I have not seen since.

    I don’t think I will ever attend another one for myself.

    Gavin
     
  8. buckwheat3

    buckwheat3 Master of the Obvious

    That was own personal take on things ( and only two cents worth) however, if you want to go, then by all means do it!

    I agree with Ted, a few more graduations a year wouldn't hurt anyone, except the college having cough up the rent for another event.

    Heck, you've earned it, and deserve to walk, I'm sure the magic will still be there! But I'll warn ya, you won't grow six inches taller!:)
    Gavin
     
  9. nobycane

    nobycane New Member

    Don't feel bad......when I graduated from EC with my BS, I had finished in summer '04, got my degree in late August, and was told that I could walk in the graduation ceremony the summer of 2005!!!!
    While, I really could not have cared less, I found it really odd that one would have to wait a whole year to walk in a graduation ceremony from the college. When my wife asked me if I was going to do it or not.....I indicated no, because at that point I was already preparing to enter graduate school the winter 05 anyways... no use on looking back IMO.
     
  10. mbaonline

    mbaonline New Member

    That's too bad

    Elizabeth, that's too bad. I'm one of those people who likes to walk. We were on the road, driving to my graduation in Denver in '05 (two days after the class ended) when my husband became very ill. We had to turn around. It broke my heart to miss it.

    So now that I'm a faculty member, I bought myself a high-quality hood and I attend all the graduations at the CC where I teach. I like that I am helping students achieve their goals and I can't wait to get my doctoral robes when I finally get my terminal degree.
     

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