Last Friday, after many debates on when the class of 2020 will graduate, the Student Government Association (SGA) has voted for Sunday, May 17 to be graduation day.
The SGA originally agreed on this date back in the middle of the fall semester when they started scheduling the academic calendar. During the month of November, though, the Faculty Senate voted on moving the graduation date to Saturday, May 16 instead. This is due to a scheduling conflict university President Dr. Dennis DePerro had with the date. Next year, DePerro’s son will be graduating at the same time as the St. Bonaventure class of 2020.
“DePerro stated he plans on attending both St. Bonaventure’s graduation as well as his son’s,” said Lauren Anderson, the SGA Executive Board secretary.
After switching the ceremony to an earlier date, the senate realized this would cause problems for senior week. The class of 2020 wouldn’t have enough time to plan all the senior week events usually celebrated by Bonaventure students. To allow for more time, the Faculty Senate voted to move the ceremony back to the original date of May 17 during their January meeting.
At the last Faculty Senate meeting on Friday, SGA hoped to move the start date of the 2020 spring semester back a week, consequently allowing graduation to take place on May 10, 2020. This action would have resolved DePerro’s conflict, as well as give the class of 2020 enough time to do senior week.
“This would return the winter break to four weeks as it has traditionally been in the past, but the proposal did not pass in the Faculty Senate,” said Anderson.
The SGA moved to start the spring semester after Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Besides recognizing MLK Day, this arrangement gave more time for the winter term, study abroad and service learning trips happening over winter break.
Faculty Senate then considered that graduation would land on Mother’s Day weekend, which didn’t sit well with some faculty members.
SGA representatives also pointed out that if the 2020 graduation date was moved up, Bonaventure students could be getting out earlier than other universities, which would have the potential to help them find work opportunities earlier on in the summer.
There are still details the senate is working out when it comes to the academic year, and emotions are high as they try to establish the best course of action. After the Faculty Senate determines the dates for the academic year, it will be up to the administration to ultimately decide upon the calendar.
By Rachel Kimmel, Contributing Writer
kimmelrp18@bonaventure.edu
