Sign your name! In the description:
if you're a student, write your graduating year and your majors!
if you're staff/faculty, write your department!
Recently, the administration of Westfield State University has opted to alter the commencement ceremony of its graduating classes. Part of this change is altering how names are read aloud. For the past few years, department chairs have read their respective students names. Under the new construction of commencement, two specifically chosen faculty members will be asked to read all of the names from the graduating class, instead.
This petition addresses the importance of a specific ritual of WSU’s commencement ceremony -- the name-reading of graduating students by their respective department chairs. Students who sign their name, graduation year, and respective major are signing an agreement that they hold this ritual of the utmost importance. Faculty are also encouraged to sign their name and make a statement that this aspect of commencement influences and impacts their experience at Westfield equally important.
We, as students, have created this petition to demonstrate that the significance of name-reading by department chairs is pivotal in our “Westfield Experience.” We would rather sit through forty-five more minutes of commencement than lose the experience that is shared during commencement.
We uphold this tradition for a variety of reasons
- This ritual exemplifies the relationship between students and department faculty, respectively and equally. We have spent four years together. Name-readings by faculty we know and love greatly shapes and influences the experience of commencement.
- The quirks and personalities of every department are showcased in a singular event, completely unique to our Westfield Experience
- It is less likely that faculty from our respective departments will "butcher" our names, as they have been with us, taught us, and talked to us personally.
- Department chairs reading their own students' names is something that makes Westfield unique and stand alone amongst other public universities.
Under the altered commencement ceremony, Westfield will lose a characteristic and quality that the Westfield community holds dear. By including the departments of students, we demonstrate that the experience of chairs reading names is equally important across disciplines, regardless of department size. Through the inclusion of faculty, we prove that commencement isn't just a celebration for students, but for faculty as well.
This petition will make its way to President Torrecilha and his team. in an effort to change the minds of administration.
Sign your name! In the description:
if you're a student, write your graduating year and your majors!
if you're staff/faculty, write your department!
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
March 31, 2016
March 31, 2016
Seeing the community rally behind the department chair tradition shows just how much this simple act means to our Westfield experience. Reading through your stories about the faculty who mentored you has been truly moving.
Reached 100 supporters
March 29, 2016
March 28, 2016
Seeing the numbers climb reminds me of the countless hours my professors poured into my education. We need to reach that first hundred mark today to show the administration that our graduation rituals are not up for negotiation.
123 Comments
Personal recognition by department chairs has a significant meaning to the graduating students. Reading a list of names depersonalizes their accomplishments.
Ethnic and Gender Studies and Art graduating this May 2016. I think it is really important for faculty from my own major to read off my name. This is a right of passage that I take very seriously and I want the people who have been through my ups and downs through my 5 years here, be the ones to call my name on stage.
Spanish and Criminal Justice Major! Graduating 2017! If Enrique doesn't call my name I'm not walking!! He has helped me and been there for me so many times when most people (university staff) would just send me to someone else and that person would say talk to this person, and so on and forth. But with Enrique I go to his office and the problem is solved!! He's basically a genie! If I didn't have him call my name on graduation I would be very disappointed! I look forward to him calling my name!!
(Class of 2015, History) I had the honor of having Dr Pickron say my name as I was on the executive board of the SGA, however, a lot of my classmates relished the idea of having their favorite professors say their names as they walked across the stage. This is an important ritual that must stay.
My daughters graduation.... She deserves to have her name recognized by someone who recognizes her. Please keep the tradition alive!
Class of 2018 - Public and Corporate Communications Major
History, Secondary ED 2016
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Sign your name! In the description:
if you're a student, write your graduating year and your majors!
if you're staff/faculty, write your department!
Recently, the administration of Westfield State University has opted to alter the commencement ceremony of its graduating classes. Part of this change is altering how names are read aloud. For the past few years, department chairs have read their respective students names. Under the new construction of commencement, two specifically chosen faculty members will be asked to read all of the names from the graduating class, instead.
This petition addresses the importance of a specific ritual of WSU’s commencement ceremony -- the name-reading of graduating students by their respective department chairs. Students who sign their name, graduation year, and respective major are signing an agreement that they hold this ritual of the utmost importance. Faculty are also encouraged to sign their name and make a statement that this aspect of commencement influences and impacts their experience at Westfield equally important.
We, as students, have created this petition to demonstrate that the significance of name-reading by department chairs is pivotal in our “Westfield Experience.” We would rather sit through forty-five more minutes of commencement than lose the experience that is shared during commencement.
We uphold this tradition for a variety of reasons
- This ritual exemplifies the relationship between students and department faculty, respectively and equally. We have spent four years together. Name-readings by faculty we know and love greatly shapes and influences the experience of commencement.
- The quirks and personalities of every department are showcased in a singular event, completely unique to our Westfield Experience
- It is less likely that faculty from our respective departments will "butcher" our names, as they have been with us, taught us, and talked to us personally.
- Department chairs reading their own students' names is something that makes Westfield unique and stand alone amongst other public universities.
Under the altered commencement ceremony, Westfield will lose a characteristic and quality that the Westfield community holds dear. By including the departments of students, we demonstrate that the experience of chairs reading names is equally important across disciplines, regardless of department size. Through the inclusion of faculty, we prove that commencement isn't just a celebration for students, but for faculty as well.
This petition will make its way to President Torrecilha and his team. in an effort to change the minds of administration.
Sign your name! In the description:
if you're a student, write your graduating year and your majors!
if you're staff/faculty, write your department!
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
March 31, 2016
March 31, 2016
Seeing the community rally behind the department chair tradition shows just how much this simple act means to our Westfield experience. Reading through your stories about the faculty who mentored you has been truly moving.
Reached 100 supporters
March 29, 2016
March 28, 2016
Seeing the numbers climb reminds me of the countless hours my professors poured into my education. We need to reach that first hundred mark today to show the administration that our graduation rituals are not up for negotiation.
123 Comments
I don't want some random professor that I don't know to read my name aloud at Commencement. It means so much to me to have my English chair read my name - she knows me and it is so much more special to walk up and her to be able to see, and be proud, of a student from her department that she's had interactions with for years. And I'm sure it's this way for many other students in all departments at WSU.
Personal recognition by department chairs has a significant meaning to the graduating students. Reading a list of names depersonalizes their accomplishments.
Ethnic and Gender Studies and Art graduating this May 2016. I think it is really important for faculty from my own major to read off my name. This is a right of passage that I take very seriously and I want the people who have been through my ups and downs through my 5 years here, be the ones to call my name on stage.
Spanish and Criminal Justice Major! Graduating 2017! If Enrique doesn't call my name I'm not walking!! He has helped me and been there for me so many times when most people (university staff) would just send me to someone else and that person would say talk to this person, and so on and forth. But with Enrique I go to his office and the problem is solved!! He's basically a genie! If I didn't have him call my name on graduation I would be very disappointed! I look forward to him calling my name!!
(Class of 2015, History) I had the honor of having Dr Pickron say my name as I was on the executive board of the SGA, however, a lot of my classmates relished the idea of having their favorite professors say their names as they walked across the stage. This is an important ritual that must stay.
My daughters graduation.... She deserves to have her name recognized by someone who recognizes her. Please keep the tradition alive!
Class of 2018 - Public and Corporate Communications Major
History, Secondary ED 2016
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I don't want some random professor that I don't know to read my name aloud at Commencement. It means so much to me to have my English chair read my name - she knows me and it is so much more special to walk up and her to be able to see, and be proud, of a student from her department that she's had interactions with for years. And I'm sure it's this way for many other students in all departments at WSU.