Wednesday, June 3, 1998
Student-run graduations see fees rise
CEREMONIES: Groups worry high rental costs endanger future
events
By Dennis Lim
Daily Bruin Contributor
Organizers for student-initiated graduations are infuriated by
the rising cost of these ceremonies this year.
Rising from $5,000 three years ago to $15,000 this year, the
cost of student-initiated graduations will have a drastic effect on
the ability of student groups to offer separate ceremonies,
according to students.
To compensate for the rising costs, student groups have asked
that the university lower the fees for the use of facilities.
"It seems virtually impossible for us to raise the required
funds to cover the cost of facilities," wrote Janneth Milton, chair
of the All African Peoples Graduation, and Margarita Gonzalez,
chair of the Raza Graduation, in a letter addressed to Chancellor
Albert Carnesale.
"It has become necessary to have the university lower the cost
of our events," they continued.
The chancellor has yet to answer the letter.
Prior to this year, student-initiated graduations scheduled for
different times and days shared venues and the cost for those
venues.
This year, because more departments have decided to offer their
own graduations, competition for university space increased. To
compensate for this increase, Event Management scheduled all
student-initiated graduations for the same day and time, preventing
them from sharing venues and costs.
Student representatives say this reflects the low priority the
university gives to student-initiated graduations.
"Students aren’t taken seriously by the university," Gonzalez
said.
Students feel that the university gives other departments’
graduation ceremonies a higher priority.
"We’re not an official department so we don’t sound as official
as – say – history, so the university doesn’t consider us as
legitimate," Gonzalez said.
Other student-run ceremonies outside of the Raza and African
Peoples’ graduations have also seen increases in graduation costs
but to a lesser degree.
Costs for the Asian-Pacific Islander Graduation rose from $1,900
last year to $2,800 this year.
Though less dramatic than the increase in other graduations,
organizers of the Asian-Pacific Islander Graduation attribute the
smaller increase to the location of the graduation in Ackerman
Grand Ballroom.
Owned by ASUCLA, the Ackerman Grand Ballroom is much cheaper to
rent than other locations around campus owned by the university,
according to Carol Lee, chair of the Asian-Pacific Islander
Graduation.
Whereas the university charges special fees for using their
facilities, ASUCLA recognizes the graduation as a normal program
and charges a normal price.
In response to student requests for lower fees, Student and
Campus Life executive Lyle Timmerman cautioned that Proposition 209
may impede the university’s ability to help.
The graduations, many of which have traditionally been held for
minority students and underrepresented communities, may conflict
with the proposition.
"We cannot discriminate or show preference based on race,
national origin or cultural background," Timmerman said. "This
doesn’t mean that we can’t help the graduations but now we have to
do it in a different way."
Proposition 209 will not affect the ability of student groups to
offer separate graduations but will change the way that the
administration can support those groups.
Timmerman said that student-initiated graduations, including
graduations for students of color, have had a positive impact on
the campus and in the past the university has supported them.
Students involved in student-initiated graduation ceremonies
demand more.
"With the rising costs of facilities and without the option of
sharing venues, the university has clearly priced students out of
the market," Milton and Gonzalez wrote.