STAFF EDITORIAL

As the quarter comes to an end, some CSU Bakersfield students will be graduating this fall but will not have a graduation until the summer. For this reason, we believe the university should bring back fall commencement.
It doesn’t feel like graduation anymore. Students who graduate in the fall have to wait six months to cross the stage in June. This wait makes the students less enthusiastic about crossing the stage since by the time of commencement they may have moved on to bigger and better things.
In six months a person’s life can change dramatically, especially with a college degree. Students graduating may find a job away from Bakersfield. Some students may leave the state or even the country.
And let’s not forget that after a bachelor’s degree comes a master’s degree and then a doctorate that some of these students may already be pursuing in other universities.
You worked hard to earn your degree for at least four years, and you finally get approved to graduate.
But, you have to wait for the moment of crossing the stage in your cap and gown that not only you have been waiting for but your loved ones too.
There are political matters at play here. Some say student and faculty apathy account for some of the reasons why fall commencement has been canceled. But, this apathy seems to be facilitated by CSUB by not offering the ceremony at all. Give students a reason to care about fall commencement instead of taking the easy way out and cancelling the event.
Students deserve to have their accomplishments recognized by the university that is purporting their academic success.
If you want to make a claim of graduation rates and retention statistics, give your students the commencement they deserve.