Earlier this semester, the Queens College administration informed faculty that due to budget cuts, QC will no longer be funding departmental graduation ceremonies. Students, faculty and staff who plan and look forward to such events are scrambling to keep them going.
Departmental graduation ceremonies, offered in addition to the main Commencement ceremony, are typically smaller and more intimate spaces to honor student achievements. The controversy surrounding this tradition has led to many faculty weighing in on its implications and cause.
“This cut felt unfamiliar. This cut felt personal,” said Siân Silyn Roberts, Associate Professor in the English Department at Queens College. Roberts has organized the department’s graduation ceremony for nearly 15 years. “It was at best uninformed, or at worst, wholly mean-spirited … It’s the one chance our students have to see their accomplishments celebrated, to see their families’ sacrifices recognized, for faculty to see their students’ and their own work rewarded.”
Annmarie S. Drury, professor and chair of the English Department at Queens College, emphasized the departmental graduation ceremonies as a major highlight of each year’s celebration. “For our graduates to have the opportunity to hear their names read aloud and to receive applause as they cross the stage is essential to their experience at Queens College,” Drury said in a statement provided to The Knight News.
“The sudden announcement of the end of college support for such ceremonies came as a complete surprise. My colleagues and I have been scrambling to learn exactly what the costs are and to figure out how the department can cover them.”
The Knight News reached out to Queens College Administrators for comment.
“Due to fiscal restraints, it is necessary to focus resources in the main commencement ceremony that will help ensure an inclusive, memorable, and sustainable celebration for all of our graduates,” said Troy Hahn, Assistant Vice President (AVP) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Queens College.
Hahn explained that this cut would help the college reinvest resources into services that support the students, inclusive of academic advising and career readiness programs.
When making this funding cut, senior leadership worked with academic and administrative faculty who oversee student success, enrollment, and college operations. “The decision was informed by feedback that we have received from the college community over time about balancing affordability, inclusivity, and the student experience,” said Hahn.
The department is currently exploring new means of funding the ceremony themselves, including partial support from alumni donors. Roberts noted that the Goldstein Theatre, the venue of the English Department’s ceremony, would cost $1200. The cost is minor in comparison to the college’s overall budget.
Queens College houses a notably large population of immigrant students who are often first-generation college students. The English Department echoed the importance of making a memorable event for students after their tireless work and dedication. “The most common question I get every year is, ‘Will I be able to walk the stage?’ That moment means everything to our students and their families, especially those who are the first in their families to graduate,” said Roberts.
While Roberts emphasized the personal sentiment and emotional importance of a departmental graduation, Hahn underscored the value of a main commencement ceremony for the purpose of inclusivity and first-generation students. “We recognize how important graduation ceremonies are for first-generation students and their families. That is why our central commencement will remain a signature event, celebrating the achievements of every student, with a commitment to highlight the diverse nature of our campus community. We are also exploring creative ways to incorporate recognition at the school and program level within the larger ceremony,” said Hahn.
In a meeting on October 14th, the English Department came to the decision that they would resume their ceremony as planned from within the department, inclusive of Goldstein Theatre and other expenses. With other departmental graduation ceremonies being defunded, graduates looking forward to these events face an uncertain future.