The Editors
In mid-March, the college released its plans for the spring commencement ceremony. Though the ceremony format is a creative way to allow an in-person graduation with family, Crowder’s communication concerning graduation needs improvement.
Under the “Graduation” tab of the Crowder webpage, there is a clear checklist to guide students through the steps of what is required to graduate. However, that tab is difficult to find for a student who isn’t aware of the list’s existence, and when the deadline for graduation applications was in the middle of last semester, the college needs to be more proactive in notifying students.
The more recent deadline to register for August or December graduation passed on March 1, but there was still little to no communication to students en masse. Prospective graduates were left to discover the deadline by chance, in casual conversation, or not at all. Students who registered in time for May graduation must also schedule an exit exam appointment to receive their diploma. None of this is well-publicized to the student body.
Despite its sluggish communication, the college’s new graduation plan manages to honor the importance of celebrating with family, while remaining cautious of coronavirus spread.
Last semester, students celebrated graduation through a half-hour-long video of a speech and a Star Wars-esque scrolling list of graduates’ names. This semester, students can register for a 20-minute time slot, which they will share with 19 other graduates and their families.
A faculty volunteer will escort each family group to the stage, where their graduate will walk across the stage and receive a diploma case. From there, the graduate has the option of a professional photo on a college backdrop before exiting to the courtyard for any family celebrations and photos.
The process is intricate and thoroughly planned. According to public information director Cindy Brown, the college took a poll of every graduating student to make sure the plan was acceptable to them. All that remains to be seen is whether the college will be able to make the execution as smooth as planned.
The plan depends on a lot of moving pieces. Every student must know exactly where to be, and when. As stated earlier, Crowder’s past communication with students about graduation has been lacking. But the college seems to be breaking that trend for this ceremony, and sent each graduate an email and “snail mail” with registration instructions as soon as the plan was cemented.
This could be the beginning of a new trend of effective communication with students, but only if the college continues to be as clear as possible, and reaches out to get student input. In February’s board of trustees meeting, there was a significant discussion about the ethics of charging fees separately from tuition. Though at first glance, that may seem unrelated, it is another aspect of college affairs that affects students and should bring student opinions into consideration. After a long discussion, the board came to the consensus that they had posted the tuition and fees with full intent of clarity, but that they didn’t really know how students felt about it.
This attitude of separation is a barrier between the college and its students. The faculty may intend to keep us in the loop, but unless they actually reach out, they’re not likely to get student opinions. Students do care about their academics and the related financials, but often don’t know how or with whom to share their complaints.
Crowder’s faculty could break this barrier by sending out surveys or setting up a question booth at events on the Quad to gather students’ opinions. Such active outreaches would encourage students to share their concerns and build relationships with the officials who are trying to make improvements.
On the other side, students ought to reach out to the faculty with their legitimate concerns and questions. If we don’t express interest in the affairs that concern us, we can’t rightly expect to be included.
Because of the college’s solid planning, students set to graduate in May can focus on finishing strong and look forward to a celebratory, personal commencement ceremony. Next semester will offer new opportunities for Crowder faculty and students to overcome communication blockades and learn to help each other. But the only way that can happen is through initiative and communication from both sides.
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