Commencement Saga continues...
As has been pointed out to me numerous times since this all began, other schools in the state hold commencement on Saturdays (e.g. Eastern Mich U, Western Mich U, U-M, etc) so there is some precedent (not that it is correct...). However, as I am doing research, I am discovering that this is not necessarily the case (see below). If anyone out there attends these schools (or others not mentioned), will they please reply to this blog and let me know what the alternatives are for students who are Saturday-observant? Thanks.
NOTE (all the dates below refer to undergraduate commencements):
- University of Michigan's Spring Commencement this year takes place on Saturday, April 29, 2006. Their Winter Commencement takes place on Sunday, December 17, 2006. ***U-M does not have an alternate date for inclement weather due to the size of their university-wide graduation ceremony. They tell attendees to bring umbrellas.
- U-M's future commencement dates are as follows: Winter Term 2007: Friday, April 27-Sunday, April 29; Fall Term 2007: Sunday, December 16, 2007; Winter Term 2008: Friday, April 25-Sunday, April 27. [For those who attend U-M, please respond and let me know how they arrange these "weekend" graduations ceremonies and when is the actual commencement?]
- Michigan State's Undergraduate Commencements are being held on Friday, May 5, 2006 at 1:00pm.
- Eastern Michigan is conducting Commencement on Sunday, April 30, 2006.
- Western Michigan is holding four ceremonies for their graduates on Saturday, April 29, 2006.
- University of Detroit-Mercy's commencement is on Saturday, May 13, 2006.
Outside of Michigan:
- Harvard University (#1): Holds all Commencements on Thursday, June 8, 2006.
- Princeton University (#1): Commencement is being held on Tuesday, June 6, 2006.
- Yale University (#3): Holds Commencement on Sunday, May 21 - Monday, May 22, 2006.
- University of Pennsylvania (#4): Commencement being held on Monday, May 15, 2006.
- Duke University (#5): Commencement will be held on Sunday, May 14, 2006.
- Stanford University (#5): Undergraduate ceremonies are being held on Sunday, June 18, 2006.
Bottom line: Wayne State University should be comparing itself to the top-ranked universities in the country. Each one of the above schools holds its Commencement ceremonies on a day other than Saturday. Why can't WSU?