Submitted by Heather Kelly, parent of senior Brittney Jayo and sophomore Freddi Jayo of UW
I am writing to address the decision to have a virtual graduation for the 2021 graduating students. I am very upset by this decision.
The university has had a year to come up with a plan on how to carry out commencement and they have dropped the ball. Many universities across our country are holding ceremonies on football fields, dividing commencements up by programs or doing student in person with family virtual ceremonies.
I called the Vice Presidents office today after the decision was reached to inquire as to the “why”.
I was told that Laramie is a small town and will be unable to accommodate students families “safely.” They decided not to host an outdoor ceremony as “the weather is unpredictable” that time of year. The virtual ceremony will consist of a speaker on YouTube and scrolling our students names at the end of the speech.
My response is, was the town just as small and the weather just as bad this fall when UWYO hosted four home football games?
My family has sat in that stadium in snow storms watching football games. We are willing to put on a coat and bring a blanket to watch our daughter graduate from college.
Is Laramie just as small when they host home basketball games, where hotels are full and restaurants inundated?
I’ve tried to get hotels to come and watch these events. It’s impossible. Really! A YouTube video speech is the best you could come up with. Again, you’ve had a year to prepare for this.
I understand the precautions needed for COVID. I’m a registered nurse and have been dealing with it for a year now. My problem is I feel like people today are putting in little to no effort to make accommodations and blaming “COVID”, “new normal”, “it’s coming from higher up”.
I’m sure with a little brainstorming and a small team of people you could figure out how to celebrate these students who are graduating after a year of online learning and self teaching. I actually do some event planning and am willing to volunteer my time to help.
My suggestion would be to divide the students up by program and offer separate ceremonies. I see on your website that the Engineering Department will hold a graduation ceremony the day before commencement, May 14, 2021. Is this possible for the Education program, Business, Nursing, ect?
Maybe reach out to universities such as Baylor, who will be holding a 2021 ceremony with likely triple the graduates. Inquire how they will safely be holding commencement.
I understand everyone is doing what they believe is the best. My request is that you readdress this issue.
I have two students who attend your university that we are paying out of state tuition for. For the last year they have been sitting in their apartments self teaching. I don’t believe they have had a real conversation with a professor since March of last year. Yet we continue to pay the same amount in tuition with about half of the educational benefits.
I also understand that the bottom line is always money. I understand that football games and basketball games bring money to the university, a graduation ceremony will cost money.
The seniors who are graduating this year deserve to be recognized for their efforts. They have been doing this on their own for a year now. I beg you to please reconsider your decision and put in some brain power and effort to give them a graduation ceremony.
