The anticipation of Baruch College’s commencement has always made graduating seniors express the concern that only a handful get to walk the stage every May. To recognize the efforts and time students spend earning their degrees, Baruch should take more steps to effectively plan graduation ceremonies so students can have their names called and walk onstage. 

While commencement is a great opportunity to celebrate all students as one group, allowing students to walk across the stage gives each individual the recognition they deserve for the time and effort spent pursuing their degree. 

Baruch’s commencement is a large-scale event, with over 5,000 students graduating at Barclays Center for the class of 2025. However, to recognize each student individually, Baruch can make sufficient changes to their graduation planning to keep this priority in mind. In a venue like Barclays Center, it would be nearly impossible to call the names of all students in a reasonable time frame. 

Instead, the school can start by holding separate graduation ceremonies across different days and times, dividing students by respective majors and degrees. This would create an organized schedule for graduations and allow undergraduate and graduate students within the same academic school — such as Zicklin, Weissman and Marxe — to be celebrated together. 

The school should book smaller venues to hold each graduation ceremony. Utilizing venues at or around Baruch, such as the Performing Arts Center, can also make graduation more accessible to students that already travel to the campus for classes. 

Some colleges hold both smaller graduation ceremonies, along with a larger commencement ceremony. This can be a viable solution to both celebrate students for their individual achievements and give graduates an opportunity to celebrate with their peers. 

It’s important that Baruch address the wants and needs of students, and to allow them to walk the stage to celebrate their hard-earned achievements.