Charge S-0402: Consider the administration's request to adjust the University Academic Calendar to change next year's commencement date from Thursday, May 19, 2005 to Wednesday, May 18, 2005.
Need for Proposal and Report:
This charge was initiated by a request from Leslie Fehrenbach, Secretary of the Boards of Governors and Trustees, with the endorsement of the President’s Cabinet. The full text of Ms. Fehrenbach’s correspondence is available at: http://senate.rutgers.edu/fehrenbachcommencementdate.html
In her letter to the chair of the University Senate, Ms. Fehrenbach first described the current university academic calendar for commencement proceedings in both 2004 and 2005, and then outlined the various logistical problems with the calendar as it stands:
"As you know, we have moved the venue for University Commencement from the Louis Brown Athletic Center to Voorhees Mall. Currently, University Commencement is scheduled for Thursday morning, May 20, 2004, at 9:00 a.m. and Rutgers College is scheduled in the same location at 2:30 p.m. Holding these two large ceremonies on one day causes several logistical problems.
"2. At the time University Commencement concludes (approximately 11:00 a.m.), the 10,000 attendees to the Rutgers College ceremony will be attempting to arrive on the College Avenue Campus. The traffic congestion caused by this change of ceremonies will be significant. The planned Route 18 construction at this time will further add to the local traffic congestion.
"3. There are several logistical issues relating to the setup for the two ceremonies that would also be resolved by holding these two ceremonies on different days."
Resolution
Whereas, Rutgers College Commencement and University Commencement are currently scheduled for the same location on the same day in 2005; and
Whereas, the administration has requested adjusting the university calendar for commencement in 2005; and
Whereas, the University Senate’s Academic Standards, Regulations, and Admissions Committee has reviewed this request, and believes it to be in the best interest of all constituencies;
Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the Rutgers University Senate approves adjusting the University Academic Calendar to change next year’s University Commencement date from Thursday, May 19, 2005 to Wednesday, May 18, 2005.