Straight cut-and-paste from the inbox (color added by yoursess truly):
The City Colleges of Chicago community will come together at the 2013 graduation ceremony to celebrate Associate degree completers:
Friday, May 3, 2013
UIC Pavilion
525 S. Racine Ave.
Beyond our control, the University of Illinois changed its graduation schedule and venue rental regulations, forcing City Colleges to hold Commencement the Friday before finals. We understand that the timing may be a challenge, so we are asking the Class of 2013 to vote on the most convenient time to hold the commencement on Friday, May 3. We will tally the survey results and announce the winning timeframe for Commencement 2013 on Monday, March 11.
City Colleges graduates have worked hard to attain this educational milestone and we look forward to celebrating their achievement with this time-honored tradition.
I aint’s got nothin’ to say ’bout it right now. There are some pros and cons to the date. Good to see that some things are out of CCC’s control. At least they know what it feels like now; I mean in terms of being told what you can and cants do by others.
CCC appears to be eatin’ some humble pie and asking the graduates what time works best.
So if the Pavilion empties early (again!), them grads should take part of the blame, since they’ve been given an opportunity to have a say, right?
Hey!, this frees up my Saturday!
Guess I did have somethin’ to say after all.
Have your say too.
Peace.
Out.
The Harold Lounge 
When did we stop calling them “graduates”?
Good observation.
Don’t get me started…
City Colleges graduates?
Since when do adjectives have an -s in standard American English?
Oh yeah. This is Chicago…..
Graduating a week before classes end? Hm.
One purpose of the graduation ceremony is to provide students with a feeling of momentous accomplishment for completing their years of hard work. If we hold the graduation ceremony a week early, it seems that a student will either (a) not quite have this feeling, because they know they must still complete their final exams, papers, and other projects, or (b) feel this, and lose motivation to work their hardest to complete their final tasks to the best of their ability. Neither situation is good. An educator’s wish is that more students feel (a) than (b), because although it doesn’t feel as good, it works toward the goals of education better.
Many people get no thrill from ceremony, and for them, it won’t matter. But others do, and this could matter quite a bit. I hope they receive their appropriate sense of accomplishment at whatever 4-year college they earn their Bachelor’s degree.
Of course, another purpose of a graduation ceremony is to showcase the leaders of the educational institution. For that purpose, I doubt it matters when the ceremony takes place, so long as people attend the opening ceremony.
let’s just all skip it, they are not paying us for our pefrsonal or sick day s when we retire anyway.
I hear what your sayin’, ni_mane.
However, I don’t think we should skip it just ’cause District muffed it up again. I try to think of the students that are truly excited and invite family and friends to this occasion. The least we faculty could do is be there for them. Even if it means waiting to the end to see our HWC grads walk and the pavilion is empty. Solidarity, baby.
Two wrongs won’t make a right.
Just sayin’…
Feel free to disagree. I can see it both ways.
No biggie….hard for the families to come though. I mean some people have to work!