Right now the seniors of the spring 2007 graduating class at the University of La Verne have one thing on their minds: Graduation.

After many semesters of tests, presentations and of course, the dreaded senior project, many seniors are counting down the days and maybe even the hours until they get to walk across the stage in their cap and gowns with their degrees in their hands.

But there are a few things standing in their way. Imagine this: graduation is only a month away and you have been working hard in your final undergraduate classes to get your degree.

You are almost there. You go online to check out the University’s commencement website and guess what, your name is nowhere to be found on the list of those who are set to walk.

First panic sets in, then maybe a few tears and finally anger. You head to Woody Hall to figure out what the heck happened and what is stopping you from participating in that special day. The answer is that you missed one of the numerous tasked you need to complete in order to eligible for graduation.

This is what has happened to many seniors at ULV.

It seems as though it isn’t enough that students spend countless hours in class, working on projects, papers and presentations to pass their classes. But they also have to worry about applying for graduation and figuring out the many other steps they have to take to walk across the stage.

The biggest issue that seniors face are those hidden unannounced steps because most of them don’t even know what they are, how to accomplish them and who to talk to in order to complete them.

Why doesn’t the University have a system in place to make sure that each and every senior knows exactly what is going on? It would be so much easier to provide advisers with a packet of all of the documents, dates, times and information including the necessary steps to graduate rather than leaving these things up in the air for seniors to guess what they have to do.

It seems as though the school is setting up these seniors to fail rather than helping them succeed. It is time for the school to think about the students and what can be done to help them rather than just add to their stress.

After all we aren’t paying a huge sum of tuition money, accruing thousands of dollars in loans to get frustrated because we aren’t being helped out or accommodated with these types of things.

Attending a smaller school is supposed to alleviate those obstacles and actually make these types of things easier.

Unfortunately we haven’t seen much of that.

Getting through and completing eight semesters, give or take, of grueling schedules and responsibilities at the University is a huge accomplishment.
Why does graduation have to be another task and obstacle that seniors feel they have to conquer?

Graduation is suppose to be a celebration but the last minute scramble to get everything set in place has left many senior exhausted, frustrated and just down right angry.

Walking across the graduation stage, looking out at all of your peers, family and friends is supposed to be an exciting and happy experience but instead the only feeling that the graduating seniors have is relief that they don’t have to deal with the miscommunications at La Verne anymore.

So much for hoping for any alumni donations from these graduating seniors.