Future Policy Change May Hinder Student Commencement Plans

Sara Weaver
News Reporter

In the past, Texas State University seniors participating in the commencement ceremony have been eligible to walk with up to nine hours incomplete, as long as they planned to finish within the following semester. That is no longer case for students going into effect this Spring.

Kristin McDaniel is the commencement ceremony coordinator for Texas State University and has been for the past seven years.

McDaniels says the new guideline modification will only allow students to walk if they are short three hours, emphasizing  “The participant policy has been in place for years but it has been modified. The new update is that students can participate in a commencement ceremony if they complete all of their requirements that semester or if they are within one requirement and graduate within the next semester.”

McDaniel and her staff hope the new policy will motivate students to return after walking, stressing “What we hope to achieve with this new policy is to provide safe and comfortable commencement ceremonies for everyone in attendance. Right now our commencement ceremonies are very large and we are working to add additional ceremonies in the future and we hope this policy will also help reduce the size of the ceremonies.”

However, Communication Studies senior Trevor Bartels has concerns regarding how the new rule will impact his commencement ceremony plans, saying “I was supposed to walk in May and finish my classes in the Summer but now I have to wait until August.”

Bartels had planned to walk sooner than his now August expected graduation date. Bartels is also concerned about why the new guidelines were going into effect in between semesters.

With the new semester around the corner McDaniel’s hopes these guidelines will be a smooth transition for both graduating students and staff, successfully serving its purpose of making commencements a safe environment. Students with concerns about their eligibility should contact their dean’s office.