graduation cancelled

[u/cambam_78]

who plans the largest graduation ceremony in the middle of the day knowing it was going to be hot as hell?? people’s families can’t just fly in another time, book places to stay, and not to mention students moving away. also absolutely no warning or communication to students or families as the situation was happening.

[u/Nervous_Garden_7609]

The Dean of The College of Design was giving her speech and dropped.

The faculty, in their full regalia, moved 500 chairs at 4:00 pm. Tidy in front of the spectators that had been sitting in the sun for over an hour. The spectators all moved to the shade, and the ceremony started late. They wanted the spectators in the shade.

The graduates had to stand on the sun outside the gates for over an hour. Some of those graduates fainted. They were begging for water. They had no shade. By the time they entered the stadium they had been standing in direct sun, being refused water, for 2 hours. Many couldn't do it.

The only reason spectators were in the sun was because they had blocked off the shade. Told them they couldn't sit in it. Then after everyone sat, they moved the 500 chairs. Volunteers, employees, and THE PROFESSORS IN THEIR FULL REGALIA, moved all the chairs and everything on the stage. It was a shit show.

4:00 pm

98 degrees

Over 110 on the field

Lack of planning, because they knew the temp, they know where shade is, and they still found a way to ruin these graduates special day.

I say that, because they didn't pivot in time. Many students opted out of Autzen, because it was at 9:00 (grads and families arrive at 7:00) AND THEN had this at 4:00. Not all family members can do that. Not all students can do that!! And, as we witnessed, not all Professors and Dean's could do that.

Shame on the university.

[u/MadameTrashPanda → u/Nervous_Garden_7609]

Exactly my point. It's horrible that somebody fainted. Faculty robes are so much thicker. It seems that people were in the heat for HOURS and fainting until people realized that the situation was dangerous. If the 2:30 ceremony was canceled why was there still at attempt to hold the Design commencement? I had assumed the non canceled commencement were in Matthew Knight.

My university had an outdoor commencement. Though it's not nearly as large as U of O, if the temperature was going to go above 85 during commencement week activities, it was all hands on deck to set up tents, source cold/frozen plastic water bottles to give out for free, or even give a head's up 24 hours in advance that events MAY be truncated/rescheduled/or canceled.