There’s a petition to the Dean to backtrack on College Convocation changes

It already has nearly 1000 signatures

The College Office of the Dean of Students emailed all UChicago students yesterday to inform us about changes to the spring College Convocation.

The changes, that Dean Ellison has declared “exciting” mean that the graduating class will no long receive diplomas all together from President Zimmer and Dean Boyer. Instead, the day will be composed of eight separate, concurrent diploma ceremonies.

Not only this, students will be grouped by their original dorm and receive their diploma from the current Resident Master of that dorm.

Daniel Simon, a student at UChicago, has since started a petition on change.org. The petition he started yesterday is named “Keep the Class together” and is addressed to Dean Boyer, Dean Ellison and President Zimmer and calls for the college to reverse its decision to make the changes. It asks the university to continue to award diplomas to the class as a whole and currently boasts nearly 1000 signatures.

Dan Simon wrote: “Most students do not remain in their House beyond second-year, and most students’ social circles encompass individuals from their House, RSOs, teams, classes, and Greek Life. Limiting the individuals with whom students can share this day is unnecessary.

“Furthermore, most students have little connection to their former Resident Masters, while all students feel some connection to President Zimmer and Dean Boyer by virtue of their attending the university of Chicago.

“This change is antithetical to the unity that the college aims for in all other aspects of our education: From the time we set foot on this campus and walk through Hull Gate, we are one class united in the pursuit of knowledge.

“These changes divide us along largely arbitrary and long-insignificant divisions drawn by the Housing Office some four years ago.”

The Tab has approached Dan Simon for comment, but he is yet to respond.

 

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