KEVIN B. KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Student body President Alistair Chapman fields questions as to why commencement in December was cancelled during yesterday's University Town Hall meeting in the Kiva Auditorium of the Student Union Memorial Center.

More than 150 students, parents, faculty and alumni attended a commencement forum yesterday, demanding that administration bring back the university-wide commencement ceremony in December.

Organized by ASUA, the two-hour forum gave audience members a chance to ask questions, express frustrations, identify existing problems with graduation and suggest solutions.

Alistair Chapman, student body president, said the goal of the forum was to initiate communication between students and administration.

"I feel cautiously optimistic that the exchange of ideas today will (have) positive results," Chapman said.

Edith Auslander, vice president and senior associate to the president, said she is unsure if the administration can bring back the university-wide commencement, but added that President Peter Likins has the authority to make the final decision.

Auslander attended the forum to pass along information to Likins, who is out of town on business until Friday.

Auslander said the president's cabinet began discussing the changes after the spring graduation in an effort to create a better ceremony. Later, the topic was presented to college deans and the Commencement Policy Committee.

"President Likins reluctantly agreed to this after hearing the positive response from the deans," said Auslander. "The main goal is to have an individualized, meaningful ceremony for students."

But Chapman said if the changes were made to benefit the students, the student body should have been consulted.

KEVIN B. KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Former president of the Graduate and Professional Student Council, Jani Radebaugh, explains the reasoning of the GPSC for voting in support of a university-wide December graduation ceremony yesterday in the Kiva Auditorium of the Student Union Memorial Center.

"I feel this was a unilateral decision and they didn't listen to undergraduates," said Marc Paley, an interdisciplinary studies senior. "The UA has a fine e-mail system that could have been used sufficiently."

Jim Heidenreich, a molecular and cellular biology senior, said he was frustrated by the administration's lack of concern for students and said he thinks university officials follow a "pattern" of making important decisions without student input.

Shannon Ross, a business administration senior, said that even though college deans supported the decision, a graduation ceremony is for the students.

"This is for us, for all the Ramen Noodles we ate, the nights we never slept and the 10-page papers we wrote," Ross said.

Also discussed at yesterday's forum were problems with the existing commencement and possible solutions.

Auslander said although the Commencement Policy Committee discussed disrespectful student behavior at commencement, such as tortilla throwing, she said it was not the main reason to change the ceremony.

But audience members at the forum said there are solutions to changing student behavior.

Sen. Stephanie Hartz said some students suggested increasing security at graduation, while other said the school should market the consequences of tortilla throwing through graduation announcements and newsletters.

But Jory Hancock, Faculty Senate chair, said that steps have been taken in the past to reduce tortillas, and the main concern should be to elevate the experience of graduation.

"The sign of that accomplishment needs to be recognized in the most dignified way possible," Hancock said.

Organizations on campus also attended the forum to voice their support for the university-wide commencement ceremony this December.

Jani Radebaugh, former president of the Graduate and Professional Student Council and a planetary sciences graduate student, said GPSC unanimously voted to support a university-wide commencement.

Samantha Zipp, a program director for the UA Alumni Association said the executive committee of the Alumni Association's Board of Directors urged the university to protect the event.

Mitzi Brydle, mother of Greg Brydle, a mechanical engineering senior, said families and parents are equally upset by the changes because they have contributed time and money to the university.

Dianne Vanmarter, mother of Thomas Vanmarter, a communications senior, said she was livid when she found out about the change, which was not announced on the tuition bill that she "gladly paid."

"My first born goes here," Dianne Vanmarter said. "But his brother will not come to this school if this is how students are treated."

Other audience members discussed the personal importance of holding a university-wide commencement.

Clarissa Marquez, a 1998 UA graduate, attended the forum on behalf of her mother, who had to work.

Marquez said her graduation was a momentous occasion as she was the first person in her family to graduate from college.

This December, her 56-year-old mother will be the second, graduating from UA's College of Education with a degree in bilingual education.

Elizabeth Clifton, a history senior from California, said she is the first from her family to graduate and has spent $85,000 on her education.

"My mom's a single mom and she's so proud she cries when I talk about graduating," Clifton said.

However, Clifton said her grandmother cannot attend the December graduation because her job does not allow employees to request days off for a college ceremony, only for university commencements.

Stefanie Hager, a molecular and cellular biology senior, said the idea of graduation has gotten her through dark nights, and she invited relatives ranging from a 1-year-old to an 85-year-old to attend commencement.

"How do I let my 8-year-old daughter not see me graduate?" asked Hager. "Angry? You bet I am."

Elizabeth Arvold, a 46-year-old elementary education senior, said she was inspired to return to school after attending her parents' 50th college class reunion in 2000. Arvold's parents graduated from UA in 1950.

"It's a big deal to my family," said Arvold, who has relatives flying to Arizona from as far as Germany.

But Chapman pointed out that it is not only December graduates who should be concerned about the changes.

He said there is a fear that the changes will become permanent and impact all students at the university, including May graduates, juniors, sophomores and freshman.

Sen. Steven Eddy said that a survey was taken last week, and of the 360 student polled, 96 percent were unhappy with the graduation changes.

"Clearly, this ceremony has great value to students," Eddy said.

At the forum, student leaders and audience members agreed that swift action would have to be taken within the next week.

Chapman said as a first step, he will write a letter to President Likins to illustrate how important the university-wide commencement is to the community.

Chapman said he will give Likins a week to respond to the letter.

If Likins does not change his mind, Chapman said he will pursue "more aggressive action."

"We need to push our message, we need to be respected," said Sara Birnbaum, ASUA executive vice president. "We need to stand up and do something."