UO moves academic graduation to Monday to accomodate athletic event
EUGENE, Ore. - Graduation at the University of Oregon will be on a Monday this year so that the school can host a track meet the prior weekend.
Many students tell KVAL News they feel like the University is putting athletics ahead of academics.
"It's a pretty big let down," says senior William Smith.
Smith is graduating from the University of Oregon this spring, but his family likely won't be there to see him get his diploma.
He says this is because graduation falls on a Monday this year.
"They work during the week, and my sister - she can't miss school at that time," he says.
University spokeswoman Julie Brown says graduation is on a Monday this year so the school can host an NCAA track tournament at Hayward Field.
The four-day meet runs Wednesday through Saturday.
"We really wanted to make sure the local community had enough hotel capacity to handle all of the incoming family and friends," says Brown.
More than 12,000 people are expected to come to the University for the track meet. That includes athletes, coaches, media, and spectators.
Another 4,000 or so are expected to graduate in the spring. Brown says the decision was announced last summer but students I talked to say they just found out.
Brown says university officials do feel bad that the change in date is drastically changing some plans and are doing their best to accomodate students and their families.
Many students told KVAL the issue goes deeper than that.
"It's putting sports in front of academics and the students in general," says senior Anna Adams.
Adds Smith, "I mean they're building a stadium, they're spending money and I'm in architecture. We don't get any money. I have to pay for freaking print outs. That's not my thing and to have it affect everybody, that's not fair."
KVAL News asked Brown is athletics do take a front seat to academics at the University of Oregon.
"No," she says. "This was a scheduling issue that we feel we have made the best solution as possible for. The dates of the track and field championship have been established and we worked very hard to try and compromise it and we do understand the concerns students and their families have."
