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Governance Minutes ArchiveNovember 6, 1991
University Commencement Committee November 6, 1991 Minutes MEMBERS PRESENT: Henneke, Marchman, Johnson, Beach, Williams-Green, Agnew, P. White, McAnelly, Alls, Drapeau, Eng, Sponenberg, Wood, Smith, Tlou, McKee, Nickerson, Vander Pyl, Chiang, Kennedy. The meeting was called to order at 12:06. Carole Nickerson introduced Carolyn Agnew from the President's Office who will be assisting in the staff work relating to university commencements. Carolyn may be reached at 231-3208. The first item on the agenda was a review of details relating to the Fall Commencement. Kennedy reported that a procedures flier has been mailed to all students responding to the postcard poll done in September. Students are still calling to register for the ceremony. The number is approaching 500 [as of the writing of these minutes, the number is 512]. John Beach reported that physical arrangements are in hand for the Coli- seum; McKee reported on the brass quintet that will play and the soloist, a senior in the College of Business. Pat White has all the information for the printed program, which is proceeding on schedule. Henneke has con- tacted his list of marshals for the processions and Carole Nickerson will begin work on the script shortly. One item was brought to the committee's attention by Col. Vander Pyl: be- cause Fall Commencement is scheduled in the middle of exams instead of at the end of them, ROTC candidates for a military commission cannot be sworn in on the day of the ceremony. Military regulations require that candi- dates have completed their course work, including exams. This year one ROTC candidate has asked to be sworn in as part of his graduation ceremo- nies. The parents have called the Pentagon about this awkward timing, which has been passed back to our Military Affairs office. Future schedul- ing of Fall Commencement at the end of exams would obviate this problem. A second item was brought in by Martha Johnson concerning the publication of doctoral candidates' names in both the fall and spring printed programs. The deadlines for printing and the deadlines for submission of completed work, not to mention the problems of incomplete work, all conspire to have names in the program that don't belong for that ceremony and others that do belong, but are omitted for mechanical reasons. After some discussion it was voted that in the future the names of all doctoral students for the year would be printed in the spring program, even if they had been previ- ously listed in the fall program. With regard to the Spring Commencement, the college representatives were asked to check with their college administrator for any items such as space needs that should come to this committee's attention. It was announced that the Graduate School would hold its ceremony at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 8, in the Commonwealth Ballroom of Squires Student Center. The doctoral candi- dates will be encouraged to attend the Saturday morning ceremony in Lane Stadium as well. A proposal was brought to the committee by David McKee (at the instigation of the chair) to commission James Sochinski of the music faculty to compose an academic march for the Spring Commencement. A list of Sochinski's pre- vious commissions was distributed and after some discussion it was agreed to pursue the matter with the President. Since the business of the committee is proceeding on schedule, it was agreed that the next meeting of the committee would be on February 5, 1992 in the President's Board Room.
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Last modified on: Tuesday, 25-Sep-2001 13:57:43 EDT