“I’m amazed that the leaders of our university didn’t feel a need to consult our faculty and students before deciding on such a major change,” Baragwanath said in an email.
She said the announced plan will eliminate the opportunity for students to experience graduation in the buildings and classrooms where they took their courses.
“The space adds a great deal to the magic of the graduation ceremony,” Baragwanath said.
Noreen McDonald, the senior associate dean for social sciences and global programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she thinks the change to a Saturday ceremony is great but will impact department ceremonies.
She said larger departments, such as the Department of Economics, will primarily experience a change in time to their ceremonies due to the new commencement date. Smaller departments, she said, will be “heavily impacted” and have a multi-department ceremony.
“The ceremonies for many departments will be different this year but we’ll work to keep the great opportunities for families, friends, and faculty to connect," McDonald said in an email.
Caroline Mays is a senior majoring in music and communications. She said she is frustrated that she and her peers have endured many issues during their time at UNC, from being sent home during their first year due to the COVID-19 pandemic to now experiencing graduation changes.
Mays attended last year’s public policy graduation because her best friend was graduating, which she said highlighted the accomplishments of the department. Mays raised concerns over whether this academic year's departmental graduations will feel as personal as past ceremonies.
Senior Ryan Phillips, who is studying music and English, said he liked the change in the commencement date, but was concerned about whether larger divisional ceremonies may prevent him from celebrating closely with the group of students in his programs.
“[Music and English] are two departments that, while there are many people in them, to me feel like a pretty insular community,” Phillips said. “I imagine that many departments will still, I hope, host independent ceremonies that are honoring the specifics of the program.”
Senior Katie Noble, a history and public policy major, said her mom had anticipated her graduation being the "best Mother's Day present" she could ask for. As a clinical associate professor, Katie Noble's mother Lauren Noble will join her on the field for the procession.
Lauren Noble, who also attended UNC, said having graduation on Mother's Day made it "extra special."
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“We have had graduation on Mother's Day for as long as I can remember because when I graduated from here, it was on Mother's Day," she said.
However, she added that the change may be beneficial for faculty members who were previously unable to attend commencement because of the holiday.
These changes will cause travel issues for her grandparents too, Katie Noble said, because her department and commencement ceremonies will span Friday through Sunday.
Along with logistical concerns, she added she is worried that the divisional ceremonies will be “more surface level.” The ceremony for the history department will be grouped with 13 other majors.
“I want [my grandparents] to see me in my department, interact with my professors, get to talk to them and see that this is my hard work that paid off,” Noble said.
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