<p>I’m a faculty member at a large state university. The last final exams are given on a Friday and the graduation ceremonies are the next day. I don’t see any practical way to ensure that everyone who walks has really graduated. Delaying the graduation ceremony a week or two would be very costly and inconvenient, and parents who are traveling will have made travel plans well in advance of that anyway. </p>
<p>If my kid went to this school, though, I’d be happy to have him skip the graduation: the campus is a zoo and the ceremony itself is long, boring, and impersonal. I’m sure we could organize something more meaningful and pleasant with our family on our own.</p>