Students who had planned on taking part in the 2014 winter commencement were told by email last week that the December commencement would be cancelled. 

Students were notified as early as last Wednesday by the Registrar’s Office about the cancellation. They were also told they could still walk the following May.

Provost Frank Pettigrew didn’t respond to emails seeking comment. Vice President of Student Affairs Sue Heimann said questions should go to Stephen Storck, the university’s vice president of business affairs. Storck could not be reached for comment as of press time. 

Though specific details as to why the cancellation has occurred are still unknown, students have expressed their frustrations about the sudden change. 

 “I was extremely irritated about the cancellation of commencement, and I still am,” said Ashley Santore, a senior who had been planning on graduating this upcoming December. Santore also serves as the Web editor for The Collegian. “Whatever their reason is for it, budget cuts, not enough people graduating in those months, I don’t think that they took the students who would be graduating then into consideration, and how it will impact them.”

Along with the cancellation of the winter commencement, several other issues are raised regarding its effects on spring commencement.  

Some of these include its impact on out of state and international students needing to travel back to Ashland as well as the limited amount of space at Kate’s Gym in the event of rain. 

“It just seems kind of silly to me,” said junior Mariah Halleck, who also plans on graduating this December. “Of all things to get rid of, they decide graduation?”

Several students have said they will voice their opinions at the upcoming Student Senate Speak Up on March 11.