The Triangle

Issue date: 10/26/07 Section: News

Faculty, students, and staff gathered for the Oct. 18 Convocation. Limited seating caused some students to be turned away.

After some students were turned away from the Oct. 18 Convocation Drexel University administrators are speaking out about the causes and lessons learned.

Freshman honor students were required to attend Convocation but some who arrived were told the Main Auditorium was full, according to students interviewed.

Provost Stephen Director said an announcement was made prior to the ceremony to redirect the overflow of students to the Bossone Auditorium where the ceremony was being broadcasted live, however, the message did not get through to everyone.

Ray Eveland, a freshmen, engineering major said he was told to wait until alternative seating was found however Eveland was soon turned away.

"We waited another 10-15 minutes and then they said sorry there's no more room," Eveland said.

There was no mention of a video broadcast in the Bossone Auditorium according to Eveland.

Director originally said in an e-mail: "I learned after the event that one of the security guards turned a number of students and faculty away … and did not know to redirect these individuals to Bossone."

However, in a follow up interview Director said he unsure if it was a security officer or another person at the door who turned people away.

"There is little point in trying to blame security, or whoever else was at the door when students were turned away, for this unfortunate occurrence," Director wrote in an e-mail to The Triangle and Senior Vice President James Tucker.

Director said he was not interested who was at fault and apologized to students

He added the Convocation incident was a "learning experience."

Drexel's Department of Public Safety was never notified that there was going to be an overflow room in Bossone, according to an e-mail from James Katsaounis, Executive Director of communications for the Student Life and Administrative Service.

Director said that he first learned of the lack of seating late in the afternoon when Mark Greenberg, Dean, Pennoni Honors College, forwarded an e-mail to him from a student.

An e-mail sent on Greenberg's behalf to Pennoni students the evening of the Convocation said "He would like to reassure each of you that there will not be another event endorsed by the Honors College that does not have sufficient seating. Additionally, he understands your disappointment and has begun conversations with the Provost to express your feelings,"

Greenberg also said that he would be working to make sure the lack of seating would not happen next year.

Undergraduate Student Government Association President Jeff Gardosh, said "I think the Provost wasn't expecting so many students to come, and therefore didn't prepare for it."

Gardosh called for better communication between the differents units involved in the ceremony.

"If the deans had communicated to [the Provost] a little better, this might have changed," Gardosh added.

Director said plans have not been developed on how to change things next year and would like to hear any suggestions people have for improving Convocation. He was told that last year around 260 faculty members attended and this year there was around 450 faculty members.

While student leaders and University officials discussed different ways to improve for next year they all agreed that having too many people as opposed to too little was more preferable issue.

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