In previous years, Ashland University’s December graduates expected the same thing from their farewell from the establishment; walking the stage and receiving their diploma in front of family, friends, and peers.
In the 2022-2023 academic year, AU planned to rid the December graduation ceremony but received uproar from multitudes of students and parents.
The administration temporarily resolved these concerns by holding 2022’s December ceremony but stating that afterward, there will be no more Winter commencements.
Winter graduates are invited to AU’s Winter Celebration instead and are invited to walk the stage in May 2024 at the official ceremony for the entire academic year.
Administrative Assistant to the Provost, Kristen Lanzone, worked to create an event geared toward graduates.
She worked with a select group of seniors to hear ideas on how to make the winter celebration as close as possible to the enjoyment of a graduation ceremony.
The Winter Celebration planning committee consisted of Erika Chuburko, Liz Keller, Janel Molnar, Alison Rossi, Laura Kruger, Teresa Overholser, Kara Crum, and Olivia Ortiz.
The seniors who were grouped for ideas are as follows: Cara McKeown, Hilary Wallace, Jessie Mayne, Zachary Scher, and Zoe Bogarty.
“I reached out to a group of peer institutions, so other private universities in Ohio to ask about what they do for commencements,” said Lanzone. “The majority of them don’t do anything in the Winter at all.”
From these inquiries to these institutions, Lanzone learned that three of the universities hold a winter celebration much like the one AU is set to hold this December. From this, Lanzone pulled together a small group of students and staff to begin building ideas for the Winter Celebration.
Some students feel as though winter and spring graduates are looked at differently.
Belle Ayala, a spring 2024 senior, said, “AU should want to celebrate their seniors because they worked hard to complete a degree at this university. They deserve to be celebrated on the same scale as a graduating senior in the spring semester.”
Ayala also speaks on behalf of her class when expressing that many students would not come back five months after graduating. She believes all seniors should have the same commencement opportunity, insinuating there should be a winter and spring commencement.
Upon reaching out to the seniors’ focus group, only one replied to the Collegian’s questions.
Cara McKeown, a 2024 spring senior, shares many of the same thoughts as Ayala. Within the focus group, the topic of timing came up. Mckeown noted that the group spoke about how the event happening on an evening of finals week might work against the target audience. She stated, “If I have a final, I’m not wearing my outfit I’ll wear to graduation, to the final. There’s not enough time in between, especially if students’ finals are late in the day.”
Another topic discussed in the focus group was that some Winter 2023 graduates are also high school graduates from 2020 when graduation ceremonies were canceled or hybrid. For these students, this will be the second time they will not walk across a graduation stage.
The event is an opportunity for Winter graduates to enjoy appetizers, and socialize with peers, faculty, and staff, complete with live music, a photo booth, and a raffle. At 3:50 p.m., a short program will begin congratulating the recent graduates for their accomplishments.
The Winter Celebration will be an open house event set for Dec. 14 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Upper Convocation Center. RSVP by Nov. 30 at https://www.ashland.edu/graduation-and-commencement
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