The Class that Rice Forgot
In breaking with a long-standing tradition of nearly a century, my class will be the first class not to receive our diplomas at Commencement. Instead, we will parade across the stage, shake President Leebron’s hand, and be given a blue plastic tube with a paper “poster” inside. They will then mail us our diplomas six to eight weeks later, like some QVC infomercial. Seamonkeys, instead of a life-affirming document.
Their reasons behind this are varied. We were told by Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman (a.k.a. “The Eunuch”) that it was a money problem. We asked him who said that, and he told us Assistant to the President Mark Scheid ‘67. Scheid told us the money wasn’t an issue; it was the manpower necessary to roll the diplomas and collect the grades. He pointed us to head Registrar David Tenney ‘87, who told us the manpower was an issue, but a surmountable one. Turns out the real reason for the decision was too many alums complained last year that they spilled champagne on their freshly minted sheepskin diplomas. Read that again, because I’m sure you didn’t get it the first time.
If you do not have the wherewithal to safeguard your hard earned diploma after you’ve received a Rice education, then you do not deserve that hallowed honor. If you cannot safely handle your diploma then perhaps the University shouldn’t give it to you, and should just keep it on file somewhere in the basement of the Allen Center where you can come look at it under glass when you want to. Don’t f*** it up for the rest of us just because you yourself are a f***up.
I’m tired of lying down on this. Call to Conversation, graduation announcements, diplomas. I’m going to cause a you-know-what storm. I’m tired of this, and I want the University to know just how angry I am because I want them to be deathly, deathly afraid of ever crossing a student like they’ve crossed me. I am beyond angry on this. I am livid. And soon, “Bron-Bron” will understand why.
Jack,
1:39AM? Actually I thought of you and Lisa as I was logging off at 12:20AM. Thank you for contacting me. I meant to get an e-mail out to the two of you on yesterday as an update to our conversation.
I enjoyed our meeting from a couple weeks ago. It again brought up for me the myriad of emotions that I have felt regarding this issue. I appreciated your candor, honesty and your offer to assist us, if that would be needed. Since our conversation I have talked again with others, most notably the diploma company. The reality of our situation now is that the company does not have enough time to print, proof and send us the diplomas in time for commencement. Our diploma order usually goes in on March 1st. In turns out that at the time that we spoke, it was already too late for the diploma company to guarantee delivery in time.
I realize that this is not what you wanted to hear. I understand your sentiment that Rice is a community, a small one, and the actual receipt of diplomas at commencement is (and has been) a special thing. In re-reviewing the data behind this decision, I do think that there are advantages for all with this change. But I recognize that there is a sense of loss as well, and this loss saddens me too.
Thank for your understanding.
–David Tenney
and my response…
David,
With all due respect, this is wholly unacceptable. This cannot ever happen to another class. The receipt of diplomas at graduation is not a “special” thing, it’s a necessary thing. Bigger schools get away with it because they treat their students like numbers and second class citizens for four years before graduation. I don’t think Rice should get in the habit of doing that. I’m not terribly interested in the “data” behind the decision. That will not put a sheepskin in my hand on May 13th. We were told that money’s not the issue, the manpower can be addressed, and less than a third of students have to get their diplomas reprinted because of “Honors” or damage. The Honors students are receiving just that, a great honor, and can stand to have their diplomas delayed – it’s worth it. The damaged diplomas come about from sheer lack of attention, and demonstrate an incalculable level of disrespect towards the culmination of a Rice education. Perhaps those students should have their second diploma kept under glass in the basement of the Allen Center where they can view it during business hours.
I mean you gentlemen no disrespect, but I believe this University has made a nearly unforgivable error at the expense of the Class of 2006 without ever asking for our input until it was truly too late. The College Presidents were not contacted until after March 1 when it was already too late, and the student body at large was never told about it at all.
Please let this letter serve as fair warning that I do not intend to let this issue die in my last 50 days here as a private citizen. This is a horrible, terrible outcome and I regret that it comes to this, but I do not want to see a single Junior even have to think about this problem next year. This is a no-brainer, folks.
Jack Hardcastle
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