Spring Break
Editorial: More reminders needed for graduation info
Editorial Board
Issue date: 4/27/09 Section: Opinions
Eastern has become quite techie this past year with its e-mail updates about events and crime; President Bill Perry himself has even sent out some campuswide e-mails about his plans for the university.
But as graduation nears, it seems a couple of e-mails could have, and should have, been sent to students alerting them about ordering caps and gowns, picking up tickets and other commencement information. Fliers placed or distributed around campus also would have been helpful, as well as notices on the front page of Eastern's Web site.
Granted, all this information can be found with a simple search at www.eiu.edu, but with students focusing on finishing up end-of-the-year projects and preparing for their last finals, matters like caps and gowns and tickets can slip their minds.
The scramble in the last week for graduation preparation should be the last thing students should have to worry about, so distributing this information in a more easily accessible format would have been helpful to those who are graduating.
Lists of the day's events can be found on Eastern's site and e-mails are sent about those, so there should be no reason not to send out e-mails about commencement to graduating seniors.
Caps and gowns should have been ordered by now, but ticket distribution has not passed yet.
Tickets will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 6 through May 8 in the Arcola/Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. Each graduate is given seven tickets. Eastern's Web site states that extra tickets may be available and that information will be posted on the page www.eiu.edu/~commence/ticket.php when it is available. Once again, here is an opportunity where e-mailing students could prove useful. And those who cannot pick up tickets during that time can request tickets to be held for pick-up on May 9, the day of commencement.
Students also need to remember to pick up their caps and gowns, which can be done from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 7 and 8 in the Charleston/Mattoon Room of the Union, as well as from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 9 in Lantz Fieldhouse.
All of this information is pertinent to graduating students, and it should have been communicated more effectively.
E-mails, fliers and notices on Eastern's home page would be more than appreciated.
The editorial is the majority opinion of The DEN editorial board. Reach the opinions editor at DENopinions@gmail.com.
But as graduation nears, it seems a couple of e-mails could have, and should have, been sent to students alerting them about ordering caps and gowns, picking up tickets and other commencement information. Fliers placed or distributed around campus also would have been helpful, as well as notices on the front page of Eastern's Web site.
Granted, all this information can be found with a simple search at www.eiu.edu, but with students focusing on finishing up end-of-the-year projects and preparing for their last finals, matters like caps and gowns and tickets can slip their minds.
The scramble in the last week for graduation preparation should be the last thing students should have to worry about, so distributing this information in a more easily accessible format would have been helpful to those who are graduating.
Lists of the day's events can be found on Eastern's site and e-mails are sent about those, so there should be no reason not to send out e-mails about commencement to graduating seniors.
Caps and gowns should have been ordered by now, but ticket distribution has not passed yet.
Tickets will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 6 through May 8 in the Arcola/Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. Each graduate is given seven tickets. Eastern's Web site states that extra tickets may be available and that information will be posted on the page www.eiu.edu/~commence/ticket.php when it is available. Once again, here is an opportunity where e-mailing students could prove useful. And those who cannot pick up tickets during that time can request tickets to be held for pick-up on May 9, the day of commencement.
Students also need to remember to pick up their caps and gowns, which can be done from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 7 and 8 in the Charleston/Mattoon Room of the Union, as well as from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 9 in Lantz Fieldhouse.
All of this information is pertinent to graduating students, and it should have been communicated more effectively.
E-mails, fliers and notices on Eastern's home page would be more than appreciated.
The editorial is the majority opinion of The DEN editorial board. Reach the opinions editor at DENopinions@gmail.com.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
Chris K
posted 4/26/09 @ 11:06 PM CST
I absolutely agree. As a graduating senior, I received next to no information about what all I had to prepare to walk. I eventually got it figured out, but the process could and should have been much easier. (Continued…)
pj
posted 4/27/09 @ 9:32 AM CST
welcome to the real world, kiddies. grow up and take resposibility for yourselves.
Rouge
posted 4/27/09 @ 11:07 AM CST
Oh, what a rude awakening you kids are in for.
Do you know in the real world you actually have to do stuff on your own and no one holds your hand while you do it? Shocking, I know. (Continued…)
Chris K
posted 4/27/09 @ 12:40 PM CST
Wow, way to go all of you people with "real world" experience, being condescending to students for not being clairvoyant. The point of the editorial was that with all the information the university provides, much of it, relative to importance of being prepared for graduation, not particularly useful, why can't a concerted effort be made to let students know about the all the stuff they should be doing. (Continued…)
Alison Mormino
posted 4/27/09 @ 2:16 PM CST
First, I admit I am unaware of how long the button has been active, but there is a "Commencement - May 9, 2009" button available on the EIU homepage that links straight to the Commencement website with all pertinent information for graduation eligible students. (Continued…)
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