Articles featured in the Forum section are solely the opinions of their individual authors.
By Miguel Henry
It has been Carnegie Mellon’s position that no convocation, recognition, conferring of degrees, or hooding ceremony be held for master’s and doctoral students fulfilling their degree requirements Fall Semester. After they have spent such a large amount of time and money on their master’s degrees or doctorates from Carnegie Mellon, they are mailed their diplomas. Their family, friends, advisors, professors, and Carnegie Mellon staff are denied the opportunity to celebrate and congratulate them on their hard work and achievement. They have an invitation to participate in the formal Commencement Weekend ceremony in May 2025 at their own expense — which could include airfare, hotel, rental car, and visa requirements for international students.
A solution would be for President Jahanian or Provost Garrett Jr. to have a convocation in Simmons Auditorium (capacity 600). Graduates would march in, receive diplomas, get hooded, and there would be a reception which would last approximately an hour. There is minimal cost, and this is an outstanding way to culminate students’ Carnegie Mellon experience!
Leave a Reply