According to an email just sent out by Dean Shollenberger and his GS counterpart, all graduating seniors in CC, SEAS, and GS will be able to enter the lottery for tickets to Barnard’s Commencement ceremony (the one with the President speaking)—which was previously open only to Barnard students. The full email, with the most important parts highlighted, is below:

Dear Graduating General Studies, Columbia College and Columbia Engineering Student,

As you know, Barnard College will welcome President Obama on Monday, May 14th, as their 2012 Commencement speaker.

We are pleased to announce that Barnard has reserved a block of tickets for Columbia College, Columbia Engineering, and General Studies seniors to attend the ceremony on May 14th. For those of you who wish to attend the ceremony where the President will deliver the keynote address, we offer you the opportunity to enter your name into a lottery to receive one of the tickets.

To enter the lottery, please complete the survey by Wednesday, May 2nd at 5:00 p.m. Applicants will be drawn at random and those selected will be notified via email by Monday May 7th. Students will be required to sign a confirmation form upon receiving their ticket. Tickets are non transferable and may not be sold.

Best of luck as you finalize your last papers, problem sets and presentations and prepare for your last final exams as Columbia undergraduates!

Sincerely,

Scott Halvorson
Dean of Students
School of General Studies

and

Kevin G. Shollenberger
Dean of Student Affairs
Columbia College / The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Student Life
Arts and Sciences

As part of the ongoing efforts to alleviate the impact of moving the GS Class Day a day earlier, the other three undergraduate student councils have pledged some money ($2,012: what a random amount!) toward funding a reception for GS seniors on May 14th, the originally planned date of the ceremony. Solidarity! According to sources, the administration has not offered any additional money in support of the event, which GSSC is currently attempting to fund independently.

You may recall that quite a bit has taken place since the change was announced rather suddenly.

• Indignation spreads across Facebook and Bwog comments like wildfire. Peter Awn sends an eloquent apology and promises to set up a travel fund jointly with PrezBo and Barnard to ensure that all families can make the ceremony.
• GSSC releases the results of a survey that demonstrate that 62% of seniors expect to have at least one guest missing as a result of the switch.
• The undergraduate councils call for an apology from the university, as well as funding for a smaller event on Class Day’s original date. This elicits a typical noncommittal statement from the administration.
• Grassroots solutions (uhh) take root. A special couch-surfing app hopes to alleviate the travel crunch for affected families.

Note this well: the deadline to apply for money from Dean Awn’s fund is tomorrow, April 30th, at noon. If you’d like to take advantage, send an e-mail to gsclassday@columbia.edu with the following information, taken from an e-mail sent by Awn on April 24th.

• Full name and CUID (that thing with the “C” and lots of numbers)
• A written letter of appeal that describes why this change will either prevent your family from attending GS Class Day or create an excessive financial hardship.
• Number of people affected and relation to graduate.
• Documentation of original expenses and new expenses projected or incurred (airline or train change-fees) will eventually have to be provided. If documentation is already available, please forward a copy with your request.

E-mail from the councils after the jump.

(more…)

Like this, on a couch

While it’s not quite the Housing lottery, some diligent engineers have come up with this handy utility, allowing families attending the rescheduled GS Class Day who might not otherwise have a place to stay to find an available couch/floor/closet in the neighborhood. The administration’s posturings thus far have been remarkably unhelpful and opaque, but Bwog gets warm and fuzzies seeing the University community reach out to help its own.

Another kind of surfing via Wikimedia Commons

Last night, Spec published an official statement sent to them by the University to address “misinformation which we want to dispel” about the GS Class Day controversy. The statement is more notable for what it doesn’t say than what it says—neither the fund set up to compensate GS seniors for changed travel plans nor the petition (now signed by over 600 students, and liked nearly 2,000 times on Facebook) urging the University to hold an off-campus ceremony on the original day or the University’s fund to help are mentioned.

Check out the full statement after the jump

In a statement responding to Monday’s announcement that GS Class Day would be moved a day forward, prominent campus figures joined members of GSSC, CCSC, ESC, SGA and the Senate to call for a formal apology from President Bollinger. The statement praises the announced Travel Fund, but demands an extra ceremony on the original day in a different location. You can find the full letter and names of the student signees after the jump.

Feel free to add your signature in the comments.

Update 7:55 pm: You can also sign this change.org petition.

Standing Together with the School of General Studies

April 25, 2012

The sudden and unexpected rescheduling of the School of General Studies Class Day has placed undue financial and emotional burdens upon the students of General Studies and their families. We are heartened by the creation of a GS Class Day Travel Fund and hope that the administration will work to accommodate as many people as possible so that they are able to take part in the celebration of the amazing accomplishments of the graduating seniors in GS.

We are disappointed with the manner in which this change has been communicated to the GS student body. President Bollinger’s e-mail did not acknowledge the enormous emotional and financial burdens the move of GS Class Day places on the families and friends of GS seniors.  We request a formal apology to those students and their families that have been affected by the move. We also wish to see the creation of a smaller event during the originally scheduled Class Day ceremony, in an alternative location, to accommodate those individuals who cannot change their plans or wish to attend in addition to Class Day. This event should be paid for in full by the Columbia and Barnard administrations as a gesture of goodwill and understanding to recognize both the achievements of the graduating GS seniors and the support and sacrifices made by them and their loved ones.

Full statement…

For a little extra context regarding the whole GS Class Day rescheduling debacle (which could have ended worse), check out GSSC’s survey, embedded below. They surveyed about half the graduating class, as well as a handful of CC, SEAS, and BC students.

Highlights: 62% of graduating seniors have at least one guest unable to come, the average family will be out $500, and almost half of those surveyed agreed with Dean Awn’s decision not to start at 5:30 am.

Apparently in response to outrage over the rescheduling of GS Class Day, Dean Awn sent out an email late this afternoon announcing a “modest fund” that will attempt to relieve those families “most significantly affected” by costs incurred from late changes to travel/lodging arrangements.

Dean Awn saving the day

Awn’s email is posted in full below.

Dear Graduates,

Together with President Bollinger and Barnard President Debora Spar, I have established a modest fund to help graduating seniors manage the additional travel expenses incurred due to the change of date for GS Class Day.

If you would like to be considered to receive such funds, please submit the following to gsclassday@columbia.edu by Friday April 30, 2012 at 12 noon.

• Graduate’s first name, last name, and CUID number (Example: C123456789)
• A written letter of appeal that describes why this change will either prevent your family from attending GS Class Day or create an excessive financial hardship.
• Number of people affected and relation to graduate
• Documentation of original expenses and new expenses projected or incurred (airline or train change-fees) will eventually have to be provided. If documentation is already available, please forward a copy with your request.

Because funding is limited, we appreciate your patience and understanding while we work to help the families most significantly affected.

Once again, I apologize for the inconvenience this late but unavoidable change has caused. We at GS are working hard to make 2012 Class Day the memorable event you deserve.

Please consult www.gs.columbia.edu/graduation for updates regarding travel tips, hotel accommodations, and everything you need to know regarding graduation week.

Sincerely,

Peter J. Awn

Dean

Pencil it in! Again!

According to an email from Dean Awn, the date for GS Class Day has been changed late in the game, due to the amount of set-up and security checks required for Obama’s Barnard Class Day visit. Instead of taking place on Monday, May 14th, the ceremony will occur on Sunday, May 13th. Spoiler alert (literally): it will still begin at 9 a.m. Check out DeAwn’s full email below—don’t worry, it contains epigrams in English, French, and Latin. Update, 5:45 pm: PrezBo has issued an email of his own, with an impressive word count of 84. Read it after the jump. 

Dear Graduates,

Since the announcement of President Obama’s decision to speak at Barnard College, it was apparent that the security requirements surrounding the President’s visit could potentially disrupt the Class Day of GS, if not SEAS as well.   We were informed last Friday that, if we were to continue with our original plan to have Class Day at 9am on Monday, May 14^th, your families would have to arrive at least three hours before the event (5:30 am) to undergo a lengthy security check to attend a ceremony that is not associated with the President’s visit.  In fact, neither you nor your families would be able to remain on campus to hear President Obama speak.  We would also be confined to the Butler lawn with no ability to roam around the campus.  Frankly, I find that unacceptable.

(more…)