Where is the graduation ceremony?
Submitted by Kaja Mie Botnen
Illustrator: Marthe Watz
Translator: Sofie Palmstrøm
Where is the graduation ceremony?
Not uncommon
It is not uncommon to celebrate graduating students with a ceremony. Some faculties have long held dignified and splendid graduations for their graduating students, such as the School of Economics and Business, which appears to have ceremonies for both bachelor’s and master’s graduates. They even allocate an entire day for a marathon of degree presentations. Guests are invited, gowns and caps are worn, and there are speeches and ceremonies. I myself attended the Veterinary School’s graduation ceremony, where my sister wore her bunad and shook hands with the dean. There, she received her Cand. Med. Vet while our parents shed a tear, and a string quartet played a stiff little melody. It was a significant moment for her and for us who had seen her work so hard for it. However, when KBM held a speech in Aud. Aastveit this spring, followed by graduating students, as far as I understand, sitting in the library in casual clothes and eating SiÅs sandwiches wrapped in plastic, I doubt anyone shed a tear over how dignified it all was.
We want to celebrate
We would like to mark our graduation, and we have long had a dedicated - and exceptional - Ringfest Committee that organizes a fantastic graduation ceremony and party for those completing their master’s degrees. These individuals, who are active students themselves, manage to squeeze in as many guests as possible into an evening at Samfunnet with a packed schedule and refreshments. They personally invite all master’s students to participate through a combination of meticulous planning, volunteer spirit, and searching on Facebook. The Ringfest is a fantastic initiative and deserves nothing but praise. That said, there are many graduating students and limited resources and space. The Ringfest quickly becomes very expensive out of sheer necessity, and one must constantly choose between allowing more graduating students to attend at the expense of bringing a guest. When graduating students have to forego their own farewell celebration due to financial constraints, lack of tickets, or having to choose which family member to bring, it is NMBU’s fault.
Lack of effort
So, what’s the deal? Why is NMBU unable to organize a graduation ceremony? According to the Academic Affairs Commitee’s (SU) documents after the last processing of the matter on 07.09.2022, there is a desire to establish a joint graduation ceremony, which, from what I can understand, is supposed to build on the traditions of the faculties that already have such traditions. What the common event will entail, when it will be held, and who will organize it is not clear, and the matter has not been discussed again since. In the meantime, it is the responsibility of the faculties, a task they approach with highly varying effort. If NMBU cannot set a joint date for the graduation ceremony and organize its implementation in a way similar to others, I question how they manage to plan matriculation, summer parties, welcome parties, and doctoral degree ceremonies every year, or how the Ringfest Committee successfully plans a common graduation ceremony every year. While the rectorate searches for a suitable date, they could perhaps set some requirements for what a graduation ceremony should consist of for the faculties so that those receiving their degrees can actually receive a well-deserved thank you from those receiving funding for the said degrees.
It’s about respect
Holding a proper graduation ceremony where those responsible for assisting our education shake our hands and look us in the eyes at the end of a degree, is so much more important than them looking us in the eyes beforehand. The level of student support varies greatly from faculty to faculty, and whether it is positive or negative, there is symbolism and respect in thanking a student for their efforts on their way out. Waving around with fanfares and grand ceremonies before any responsibility is taken is nice. But having to be accountable for each individual’s education and experience of it is so much more important. A faculty’s leadership and professors who have personally supported their students and carefully designed their programs with pedagogy can look their graduating students in the eyes with pride and receive gratitude in return. If the faculty has failed and produced impersonal drone lectures to minimize effort in education, they can stand there and feel that they didn’t contribute and thank the students who had to go through the degree alone for the money they received from it. The graduation ceremony is important, both for us who are about to enter the world and leave behind a world we’ve been locked into for many years, and for the faculties and the university to see what they contribute to, or perhaps don’t contribute so much to, and to welcome their new colleagues. It’s about respect, and it’s long overdue.
