<p>I was stunned to find out the high school graduation ceremony I attended recently was a total sham. In theory we were there to watch students receive their diplomas. In actuality the students received the diploma holder during the ceremony. Once the ceremony was done, the kids who had not misbehaved during the ceremony were unceremoniously handed their diplomas in the lunch room. (If you were not “good” during the ceremony, you had to do community service over the summer to get your diploma.)</p>
<p>Our seniors pick up their real diplomas at the school office in the week following the graduation ceremony, which I have always thought was a standard practice. One thought is the threat of a withheld diploma helps curtail questionable behavior at the grad night party. It also allows the high school registrar time to deal with last minute grading of the seniors who attend school right up until a day or two before the graduation ceremony.</p>
<p>Ha, ha. In many schools kids get an empty diploma holder if you owed for books, a paper, anything. I remember at a college graduation, a panic stricken kid when grandma wanted the non existent diploma taken out of the case and unfurled for a picture. In large schools where there are so many kids who owe stuff, it is easier just to graduate the most likelies with the empty case and have them pick up the diplomas later. Otherwise it is difficult to plan the ceremony.</p>
<p>Seniors at my D’s high school receive their diplomas backstage immediately after the ceremony, once they have turned in their rented gowns. No one seems particularly bothered by it.</p>
<p>It’s normal for students to get empty diploma holders and to get their real diplomas backstage or in the mail.</p>
<p>Sounds like the school that the OP described has had a lot of problems with disruptions during graduation ceremonies, so had to impose the community service penalty for decorum reasons. Better than than to have proud families and students who can’t hear their students’ name called because of disruptive students.</p>
<p>Our school does the same thing, both to keep a lid on potential disruptions and because graduation usually takes place before all Regents exams have been administered. Those seniors who are taking Physics have to come back to school the week after graduation for the exam (!).</p>
<p>I think that’s fairly normal (re: empty holders) and don’t really see what the big deal is. It’s the education that’s actually worth something… the piece of paper is, well, a piece of paper.</p>
<p>Well, that’s a good way to get those gowns back. Our school finally made everyone buy a disposable type gown because they were not getting the rental returned. And there are schools that make the kids rent from an independent dealer, because they don’t want to get into the situation of getting the gowns back. The big deal here are returning books and other school property. Though I guess it could be a big stick out there regarding post grad celebrations that might include disruptive behavior.</p>
<p>At our HS, you have to pay all fines and fees, and have all books returned to receive your graduation tickets (limited seating for families and friends of graduating seniors - tickets required). If your fines, fees and books aren’t cleared, you don’t get your tickets and you don’t walk at graduation.</p>
<p>At our school same thing, students receive an empty diploma case and the real diploma is given once book accounts, fees, etc. are taken care of. Because NYC has a no walk policy, you cannot participate in graduation unless you will actually graudate in june (there is a city wide ceremony for students who graduate at the end of summer school). </p>
<p>In fact it there are very few schools that actually give the diploma during the ceremony because the student/parent usually signs that it has been received.</p>
<p>When I graduated from Undergrad, I received my actual degree 3 months later (had to come sign for it. When I graduated from grad school I received the actual degree 2 months later via mail.</p>
<p>At the college that I graduated from, and at a different college where I taught, no one gets their degrees at graduation because final grades aren’t in. Some students who were in the ceremony won’t get their diplomas because they flunked a course.</p>
<p>At d’s high school, the holder is also blank, because one year someone messed up the order of the holders and kids got handed the wrong diplomas! Now everyone gets a blank holder and picks up the diploma afterwards, so that the right kid gets the right diploma.</p>
<p>At my college graduation, I also got a blank holder, and received the diploma in the mail several weeks later.</p>
<p>Greta, that is ideal. But many schools just have so many crises right at the end of the year and so many kids right at the wire. They also want as many kids to walk as possible. Large schools that have to plan their ceremonies carefully, especially are in a crunch. It just spreads the time out more, so things aren’t as rushed if the diploma is issued afterwards. Mistakes are more often made when things are done too quickly and under pressure and stress. Such mistakes can get people very angry.</p>
<p>This is completely normal at the high school and college level. It’s actually kind of helpful. When I got my Masters, the actual document was given to each recipient as they came off the stage (the dean handed you a fake with ribbons). The darn things were so big (probably about 10x20) that people weren’t sure what to do with them once back in the tightly packed rows. </p>
<p>My undergrad alma mater had tables (staffed by enthusiastic faculty volunteers) for each school in the “tunnels” of the arena where the line up was held. All the graduates returned their caps and gowns there after the ceremony and went to the appropriate table to pick up their degrees. I think both the faculty and the students liked having a few moments to chat without the rush of the procession and the documents stayed wrinkle free, too.</p>
<p>I think that calling a ceremony a “total sham” just because the diplomas were not actually given is harsh. There are a lot of good reasons not to give out the actual diplomas. It cuts out mistakes, damage, etc.</p>
<p>At my high school we got the holder, and then could go to the office after the ceremony to trade our gowns for the actual diploma (unless we owed money for something, in which case we had to pay up before we could pick up the diploma).</p>
<p>At my college, we receive a diploma (not necessarily ours), and we have a diploma circle afterward in which we keep passing the diplomas until we receive our own. If you had a hold on your account, there was a piece of paper in the holder letting you know that the diploma would be mailed after the hold was resolved.</p>
<p>Pretty standard procedure here. In fact, you have to “settle up” with the school (pay any fines, fees, etc.), turn in books, and all the rest before you can even participate in the graduation ceremony.</p>
<p>On graduation night, everyone gets the empty blank folder when they walk across the stage, and then when the ceremonies are concluded, they go to a station set up backstage to get their actual diploma to put inside. I think it saves the school from a ton of mistakes, as there are 500 seniors in the class.</p>
<p>I guess I also think withholding a diploma for inappropriate behavior at a graduation ceremony is perfectly acceptable. If you can’t behave respectfully for a few hours at an event designed for MANY students, not just you, some “consequences” seem appropriate. (The “you” is meant for the person that misbehaved, not the OP.)</p>
<p>It is not a sham at all. You are there to see them conferred as graduates - maybe you missed that part of the ceremony. When they move their tassels?</p>
<p>In any case - with larger classes this is not uncommon at all. I doubt if the sole reason is to keep order.
My kids high school get/got their diplomas during the ceremony. But they graduate less than 200 so it’s easy to keep tabs on them.</p>
<p>When I graduated from college - my diploma was mailed to me two to three weeks later. The hazzards of graduating from a fairly large university. They also “graduated” us by college, we just stood and moved our tassel.</p>
<p>At my daughters college graduating - small school that graduated about 400- she got her diploma during the ceremony - it was huge and in Latin. really cool.</p>
<p>Wow, I guess our school is unusual. Our kids get an actual diploma. All accounts must be settled before graduation and if you don’t have the required grades/classes, you don’t graduate.</p>