NEW ORLEANS – As of Friday morning, the University of New Orleans administration has announced a decision to hold several smaller, more intimate commencement ceremonies for Fall 2024 graduates. This welcome shift comes in response to passionate feedback from students and graduates who expressed the significance of having a dedicated celebration for their academic achievements.
With over 700 signatures on a petition and the university’s responsive approach, the Fall 2024 graduates can now look forward to a celebration that honors their hard work and dedication. The university’s decision reflects its commitment to ensuring that all students’ achievements are recognized and celebrated appropriately.
Controversy erupted when Nathaniel Kinchen, a senior at UNO, launched a Change.org petition criticizing the removal of the fall graduation event. Kinchen, who missed his high school graduation due to COVID-19, expressed his disappointment by saying, “As a 2020 high school graduate, I experienced the disappointment of missing out on a graduation ceremony due to COVID-19. Now, as a Fall 2024 graduate, it seems history is repeating itself.” Kinchen and other students argued that eliminating the ceremony undermines their achievements and affects their families and friends.
In addition to the petition, a rally was planned for August 19 in front of the administration building to protest the decision. This response is part of a broader push against the university’s budget cuts, which have included a $15 million deficit and the elimination of 70 jobs. The decision to forgo the fall commencement has ignited a strong reaction from students who are advocating for their academic milestones to be duly celebrated.
On Thursday, UNO President Kathy Johnson addressed the situation in a university-wide email, explaining that most universities traditionally hold only one commencement per year. Johnson noted that UNO’s decision was based on trends showing higher participation in the May ceremony compared to December. She invited fall graduates to attend the spring ceremony and apologized for any inconvenience caused. Other local institutions, such as Tulane and Loyola, also hold their commencements in the spring without a fall graduation ceremony.
Michael Sturbaum, a disabled veteran and a Fall 2024 graduate, voiced the personal significance of the fall ceremony. Sturbaum, who has faced financial challenges and cares for his wife recovering from lymphoma, stated, “My whole entire time at the school has been a struggle. I was just happy to have all of this finished, to walk across that stage and to see my beautiful wife smiling at me, graduating from her own alma mater, knowing that we did this together through it all. Instead, I am going to receive my diploma in the mail along with alumni letters begging for more money.”
Sturbaum and other Fall 2024 graduates said they felt sidelined compared to their Spring 2025 counterparts. Many fall graduates indicated they will not attend the May ceremony due to new jobs, relocations, or having moved on from university life. Sturbaum emphasized, “It’s so important to us because this is the moment that us graduates have been looking forward to for over four years. We deserve the graduation ceremony that so many before us have been granted.”
UNO sent out an email at the end of the week acknowledging the students’ perspectives. President Johnson wrote, “My announcement earlier this week about December commencement sparked passionate and heartfelt responses from our students and their loved ones. I have heard you. Your reactions are completely understandable, and they have prompted me and the university leadership to think more creatively about how we might celebrate our fall graduates in a suitable manner. We have made the decision to hold several smaller, more intimate ceremonies in December in the University Center. Students will wear their caps and gowns and have their names announced as their families and loved ones cheer them on.”
