I was that secret Aggie.. :]

USU could cancel December commencement ceremony

By Kim Burgess

Published:

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 6:46 PM CDT

Utah State University may cancel its December commencement activities and several students are up in arms at the possibility.

USU’s spokesperson, John DeVilbiss, said the school will announce Thursday whether the December graduation events will be cut. On Wednesday afternoon, he stressed that administrators had not yet made a decision, but were discussing whether to get rid of the ceremony.

If the December commencement is canceled, students who complete coursework during fall semester would have to wait to participate in the spring commencement, held in early May.

USU began holding December commencement activities four years ago.

Saving money in the face of major budget cuts would be a major reason for taking that action, DeVilbiss said.

Should that happen, two Aggies say they are prepared to start a large petition drive to get the December commencement reinstated.

“To have this pulled out from under you without a choice or a survey or an interview — it’s one of the many budget cuts that are killing USU,” said Kelsey Koenen, a journalism student who said her whole family is hoping to attend the December graduation.

Koenen plans to start a full-time job in Logan during January, but she said it’s hard for her to be certain she will be in the area in May.

That sentiment was echoed by a friend of Koenen, who asked to remain anonymous until USU makes an official announcement about the situation.

She said that she plans to move out of state after completing her coursework in December. Returning to Cache Valley for the May ceremony would be expensive and time consuming, she said.

“It’s ridiculous,” she said. “With the fees and the tuition payments and all of the junk we have to go through, they should not take away the one thing we’ve been looking forward to.”

The student said she feels there are better ways to deal with budget problems, like getting rid of a luncheon that happens before both the December and May graduation ceremonies.

“That would save a lot,” she said. “We don’t need a luncheon, just give us the commencement.”


So what can I say, I made some calls and let them know how I felt in the nicest way I could..... :]