In response to the Undergraduate Student Experience and Satisfaction report, the A.S. Council, led by its senior senators, has proposed an all-campus baccalaureate to administrators to supplement the individual college commencements.
The proposal was meant to specifically address principles four and six of the U.S.E.S. report, which emphasize “the need for traditions” and “the need for campuswide events, traditions and rituals.” The report, compiled by faculty, students and alumni, was released last year.
The A.S. Council has made it clear that its intention is not to replace each college’s commencements, which allow for more personal recognition, but merely to supplement them with a campus-wide celebration.
“The individual college commencements are still very important,” Eleanor Roosevelt College Senior Senator Erik Rodriguez-Palacios said. “The all-campus baccalaureate is meant to serve as a kickoff to the individual college commencements, which are a more intimate setting.”
Last week, the council passed a unanimous resolution favoring the proposal. UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, who attended the meeting, had no immediate answer for the council on whether or not the ceremony could be implemented.
Councilmembers hope an all-campus baccalaureate would attract “big name” speakers that would allow UCSD graduations to be comparable to those of similar institutions, which routinely attract prominent speakers, according to Rodriguez-Palacios.
“Students ask, ‘Why aren’t we good enough to have a president speak at our graduation?’” Rodrigeuz-Palacios said. “The answer is, yes, we are good enough.”
However, John Muir College Dean of Student Affairs Patty Mahaffey said all-campus graduations would not necessarily attract famous speakers, but related speaker recruitment to financing.
“Speakers cost a lot of money, so it all comes down to funding,” Mahaffey said. “We have some amazing faculty on campus which would make some great choices. But in order to get someone from off campus it would take a lot of money coming from several places.”
Senators have admitted problems in aquiring funds for such an event, prompting them to request financial help from Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Joseph W. Watson.
“While [the] A.S. [Council] funded and organized it in the past, we don’t have the money to do that now,” Rodriguez-Palacios said. “However, in a meeting, Dr. Watson did mention that money could be available. He said, ‘Commencements are around $80,000; what’s another $20,000?’ We’re hoping that wasn’t a joke.”
Watson did not return repeated requests for comment.
The A.S. Council is basing the feasibility of the proposal on the fact that UCSD has had all-campus baccalaureates in the past. In the mid-1990s, UCSD had five all-campus baccalaureates. The speakers included former President Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, Irwin Jacobs and Patch Adams.
Additionally, the A.S. Council maintained that holding the event during the same weekend as college commencements would allow the university to take advantage of existing logistics, such as stages and sound systems that are already rented and set up, and then build on them for a larger-scale event.
Since the university has not yet set the schedule for graduation weekend, Rodriguez-Palacios said, there is both the time and the opportunity to include the event in a schedule and plan for it to occur as soon as spring 2007.
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