Over the last several years, the number of TMCC Faculty fully participating in the commencement ceremony by donning their regalia and marching with the graduates has been in steady decline. Undoubtedly, there are several reasons for why this is happening. Whether it's as simple as the cost of purchasing or renting the robes, or a demonstration against authority, the number of empty seats in the faculty section has steadily grown for the last seven years.
I hope I can convince at least a few of my colleagues who plan to sit in the audience this year to change their minds and join us in the march for a multitude of reasons.
As you may have seen in the TMCC-NFA Bulletin, we have purchased satin stoles embroidered with the NFA seal. It's just one way for us to celebrate a great year for the Chapter that included our 30th anniversary and the most substantial growth in our history. We hope all of our members will proudly wear the stole with their robes. It is the only time during the year when we as a group will even be visible to the regents and other dignitaries participating in the ceremony. For so many of these individuals, faculty only exist in the abstract. When we blend into the background of the audience at commencement, we only reinforce that perception.
It also goes without saying that we march to honor our students' accomplishments. After 30+ years in higher education, I know the speeches are all going to sound the same and the applause lines are all predictable. But for the graduates, and perhaps for their families, it's all brand new.
The diversity of the robes and the multitude of hood colors contribute to the formality and spectacle of the event. I hope the addition of the NFA stoles to the regalia will visually unify us and demonstrate to our students, the administration, and the regents that the faculty are the foundation that supports it all.
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