For years, Commencement Weekend has been a festive four-day affair. But starting in 2005, graduating students and their families and friends will have just three days of revelry.
Commencement Weekend has remained relatively unchanged for many years, and University administrators thought "it seemed like a good time to review it," according to Melanie Coon '78, interim vice president for public affairs and University relations.
At the end of the 2002-2003 academic year, the University formed an ad hoc committee to review Commencement and Reunion Weekend programming and scheduling. According to a report issued by the committee in March, members decided shortening Commencement Weekend from four to three days would be in the best interests of students, parents and alums.
Vice President and Secretary of the University Russell Carey '91 said the four-day weekend was too long and left parents and alumni with too much "down time" on Sundays.
Moving graduation to Sunday could cut costs because the University will not have to pay time and a half to Commencement workers working on Memorial Day, Carey said. According to the report, however, a reduction in costs is not certain and is not the primary motivation for shortening the weekend.
To compensate for the change in length, all of Brown's signature Commencement Weekend events will be included in the condensed schedule, but they will be moved to reduce unplanned or poorly planned periods of time, Carey said.
According to a preliminary draft schedule of major 2005 Commencement events, the Campus Dance will be held Friday night, the traditional interdenominational Baccalaureate will be held Saturday afternoon and the graduation procession and departmental ceremonies will take place on Sunday.
To allow for scheduled religious services at local houses of worship. Carey said the Procession, which involves seniors, alumni, graduate students, medical students, faculty, senior administrators, corporation members and honorary degree recipients marching through the Van Wickle Gates, will likely start 90 minutes later than in past years - at 10 a.m. rather than 8:30 a.m.
The First Baptist Meeting House, where the senior ceremony is held in accordance with the church's charter, is willing to begin its service earlier than usual on that day in order to accommodate Brown, he said.
Coon said alumni and administrators are "very much in support of the change."
But some students are concerned that the shortened weekend won't leave families enough time.
Kristina Semos '04 said a three-day weekend will be "absolutely stressful for moving." She also noted that Commencement Weekend is the last time many graduates will see each other and the condensed schedule will cut back on the time they have to spend together.
Blair Smith '04 expressed concern that many families can't arrive until late Friday. With the weekend ending on Sunday, they will not have the opportunity to explore Providence or help graduates move out, she said.
"A lot of my family has never been here, and it's the only time my family will get to come up here while I'm here," Smith said. She said she worries that next year, other families in similar situations will not have enough time to spend together in Providence.
But Carey said the shortened weekend is more sensitive to the needs of families who live farther away and to different work schedules.
"Many people don't have the luxury of taking Tuesday off," he said.
"With graduation on Sunday, people can use Memorial Day for a travel day."
According to the report, the committee considered moving Commencement Weekend away from Memorial Day weekend, but scheduling problems with summer-session programs and Providence College's graduation made this option infeasible.
The ad-hoc committee also included in the report an update to the rain plan, in response to weather-related problems at previous Commencements, most recently in May 2003. In the past, the rain plan - which means no procession and no University Ceremony on the Main Green - only went into effect under "essentially life-threatening weather conditions." The committee proposed that the standard for enacting the rain plan be changed to "heavy, steady rainy and/or stormy conditions." Under this definition, last year the rain plan most likely would have been implemented either before the procession or during the senior speeches at the First Baptist Meeting House, the report said. Last year, members of the procession and audience members were soaked by the rain.
Andrew Hull '03 said that despite last year's weather, Commencement Weekend was a good experience. Once graduation is shortened, parents and graduates will still have a good time, but the weekend will be rushed, he said.
"Of all the things to skimp out on, it doesn't seem like the rewards your graduates are supposed to be getting should be cut down," he said.
Coon and Carey said they were confident that the changes will have a positive effect on Commencement Weekend.
Brown's Commencement is a "unique" and "wonderful" experience, and the new schedule isn't going to change that, Coon said.
Carey added, "No one does it like Brown, and no one does it better than Brown."
