(06-29-2013 09:59 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  I don't know that much about JMU but being in that position has to be frustrating. It's like being a Cub fan, hoping that next year they'll field a good team, knowing all the while that the previous 100 years don't provide much hope.

Kind of like that, except you're in the minor leagues, and we've actually won a championship, but nobody knows about it.

(06-30-2013 04:00 PM)JMad03 Wrote:  

(06-29-2013 09:59 PM)NIU007 Wrote:  I don't know that much about JMU but being in that position has to be frustrating. It's like being a Cub fan, hoping that next year they'll field a good team, knowing all the while that the previous 100 years don't provide much hope.

Kind of like that, except you're in the minor leagues, and we've actually won a championship, but nobody knows about it.

Ha yea, I didn't mean to compare JMU's competitiveness with that of the Cubs. Just the decision-making, from the impression I get on here.

(06-30-2013 01:29 AM)JMUDUKE9 Wrote:  

(06-30-2013 01:01 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(06-29-2013 03:54 PM)JMUDUKE9 Wrote:  

(06-28-2013 06:44 PM)Longhorn Wrote:   Building BFS was a smart move on many levels...it provided the opportunity to serve a currently strong, and growing fan base (see our attendance figures so often cited as proof of JMU's readiness for FBS), it provides an impressive tool in recruitment, and yes, it does put JMU in a favorable position when weighing future options.

Like the selling point of being able to hold graduation there? Oh wait...

Graduation returns to the stadium next Spring.

Good info, thanks for the update. Any reason given as to why it will now be feasible next year, since it "wasn't" this past May?

After feedback the issue was revisited, and the decision not to have a single, grand commencement ceremony was overturned.

Honestly, I never swallowed the idea that a single, large, stadium-based ceremony was too logistically difficult for grandma, etc. to navigate....I thought it was a misguided decision by minor JMU mid-level micro-managers to save the university some time & money, and an even more egregious idea in the way it was foisted upon the 2013 graduating class.

I am very pleased the main stadium-based ceremony will return, and I half suspect that Alger was the decision maker that made that happen.

(06-30-2013 10:19 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(06-30-2013 01:29 AM)JMUDUKE9 Wrote:  

(06-30-2013 01:01 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(06-29-2013 03:54 PM)JMUDUKE9 Wrote:  

(06-28-2013 06:44 PM)Longhorn Wrote:   Building BFS was a smart move on many levels...it provided the opportunity to serve a currently strong, and growing fan base (see our attendance figures so often cited as proof of JMU's readiness for FBS), it provides an impressive tool in recruitment, and yes, it does put JMU in a favorable position when weighing future options.

Like the selling point of being able to hold graduation there? Oh wait...

Graduation returns to the stadium next Spring.

Good info, thanks for the update. Any reason given as to why it will now be feasible next year, since it "wasn't" this past May?

After feedback the issue was revisited, and the decision not to have a single, grand commencement ceremony was overturned.

Honestly, I never swallowed the idea that a single, large, stadium-based ceremony was too logistically difficult for grandma, etc. to navigate....I thought it was a misguided decision by minor JMU mid-level micro-managers to save the university some time & money, and an even more egregious idea in the way it was foisted upon the 2013 graduating class.

I am very pleased the main stadium-based ceremony will return, and I half suspect that Alger was the decision maker that made that happen.

Thanks for the explanation, LH. I believe from previous posts we both felt that this was a poor decision last year, so I'm happy to hear someone (hopefully Alger) decided to fix that slip up.

(06-30-2013 10:19 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(06-30-2013 01:29 AM)JMUDUKE9 Wrote:  

(06-30-2013 01:01 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(06-29-2013 03:54 PM)JMUDUKE9 Wrote:  

(06-28-2013 06:44 PM)Longhorn Wrote:   Building BFS was a smart move on many levels...it provided the opportunity to serve a currently strong, and growing fan base (see our attendance figures so often cited as proof of JMU's readiness for FBS), it provides an impressive tool in recruitment, and yes, it does put JMU in a favorable position when weighing future options.

Like the selling point of being able to hold graduation there? Oh wait...

Graduation returns to the stadium next Spring.

Good info, thanks for the update. Any reason given as to why it will now be feasible next year, since it "wasn't" this past May?

After feedback the issue was revisited, and the decision not to have a single, grand commencement ceremony was overturned.

Honestly, I never swallowed the idea that a single, large, stadium-based ceremony was too logistically difficult for grandma, etc. to navigate....I thought it was a misguided decision by minor JMU mid-level micro-managers to save the university some time & money, and an even more egregious idea in the way it was foisted upon the 2013 graduating class.

I am very pleased the main stadium-based ceremony will return, and I half suspect that Alger was the decision maker that made that happen.

Wasn't one the reasons JMU asked the Commonwealth of Virginia to build the stadium was to properly fill it during graduation so it wasn't just for athletics ?

(07-01-2013 09:22 AM)HolyCityDuke Wrote:  Wasn't one the reasons JMU asked the Commonwealth of Virginia to build the stadium was to properly fill it during graduation so it wasn't just for athletics ?

It was certainly a selling point, and was mentioned several times as to why new Bridgeforth wasn't just needed for football.

(06-29-2013 03:44 PM)HyperDuke Wrote:  

(06-29-2013 03:40 PM)JMUDuke25 Wrote:  LOL - Don't let me get under your skin so much. I know the popular thing around here is to jump on the bandwagon to bash everyone in the admin. Some of it is fair but some of it is just bitching to ***** and I'll defend them (and my school) when it's not fair. Asking them to publicly blog conference negotiations is not fair. Not trying to be condescending but any of you should be able to figure out why that information is not public.

Yes, some of these folks are complaining about the same thing over & over with no basis in facts. HOWEVER, what we're seeing is the vocalization of the fear that our leaders won't make the correct (or any) move. It really isn't that people think the admin should share conference negotiations. It's that people feel pretty confident based on past athletic blunders that they're not negotiating at all...

Post of the Year, in a few brief words you nailed it. Nobody is bitching to *****, it's a vocalization of long terms observations.

(07-01-2013 09:22 AM)HolyCityDuke Wrote:  

(06-30-2013 10:19 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(06-30-2013 01:29 AM)JMUDUKE9 Wrote:  

(06-30-2013 01:01 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(06-29-2013 03:54 PM)JMUDUKE9 Wrote:  Like the selling point of being able to hold graduation there? Oh wait...

Graduation returns to the stadium next Spring.

Good info, thanks for the update. Any reason given as to why it will now be feasible next year, since it "wasn't" this past May?

After feedback the issue was revisited, and the decision not to have a single, grand commencement ceremony was overturned.

Honestly, I never swallowed the idea that a single, large, stadium-based ceremony was too logistically difficult for grandma, etc. to navigate....I thought it was a misguided decision by minor JMU mid-level micro-managers to save the university some time & money, and an even more egregious idea in the way it was foisted upon the 2013 graduating class.

I am very pleased the main stadium-based ceremony will return, and I half suspect that Alger was the decision maker that made that happen.

Wasn't one the reasons JMU asked the Commonwealth of Virginia to build the stadium was to properly fill it during graduation so it wasn't just for athletics ?

I don't think that the Commonwealth of Virginia built the stadium. While they may have issued the bonds, those are being paid back with the increased revenue and student fees (?), correct?

(07-01-2013 09:52 AM)Top Dawg Wrote:  

(07-01-2013 09:22 AM)HolyCityDuke Wrote:  

(06-30-2013 10:19 PM)Longhorn Wrote:  

(06-30-2013 01:29 AM)JMUDUKE9 Wrote:  

(06-30-2013 01:01 AM)Longhorn Wrote:  Graduation returns to the stadium next Spring.

Good info, thanks for the update. Any reason given as to why it will now be feasible next year, since it "wasn't" this past May?

After feedback the issue was revisited, and the decision not to have a single, grand commencement ceremony was overturned.

Honestly, I never swallowed the idea that a single, large, stadium-based ceremony was too logistically difficult for grandma, etc. to navigate....I thought it was a misguided decision by minor JMU mid-level micro-managers to save the university some time & money, and an even more egregious idea in the way it was foisted upon the 2013 graduating class.

I am very pleased the main stadium-based ceremony will return, and I half suspect that Alger was the decision maker that made that happen.

Wasn't one the reasons JMU asked the Commonwealth of Virginia to build the stadium was to properly fill it during graduation so it wasn't just for athletics ?

I don't think that the Commonwealth of Virginia built the stadium. While they may have issued the bonds, those are being paid back with the increased revenue and student fees (?), correct?

What I meant was JMU asked the Commonwealth permission to build.

Dont think you'll ever see graduation in BFS again the logistics of moving that many people around to sattilite ceromonys is just to much. 2 years of BFS contruction showed the admin its much better to just have the individual colleges have their own ceromonys. BFS will never again host the JMU graduation. It is however used for some other sports other than football. Ive seen the black lines painted on the field for fieldhockey or lacrosse don't know which one. With the new university park final playing field being completed this year I doubt that BFS will be used for anything but football from now on

(07-01-2013 11:23 AM)JMUsince89 Wrote:  Dont think you'll ever see graduation in BFS again the logistics of moving that many people around to sattilite ceromonys is just to much. 2 years of BFS contruction showed the admin its much better to just have the individual colleges have their own ceromonys. BFS will never again host the JMU graduation. It is however used for some other sports other than football. Ive seen the black lines painted on the field for fieldhockey or lacrosse don't know which one. With the new university park final playing field being completed this year I doubt that BFS will be used for anything but football from now on

It's being hosted in BFS next year. I believe Longhorn was the one that confirmed it.

No it's not I know this for a fact. Longhorn has been missinformed. I would have direct involvement if it were going to be there. JMU PD, JMU facility's and other do not want it being there its just much of a problem to move that many people out of ther in time to get to other ceremonys.

(07-01-2013 11:31 AM)JMUsince89 Wrote:  No it's not I know this for a fact. Longhorn has been missinformed. I would have direct involvement if it were going to be there. JMU PD, JMU facility's and other do not want it being there its just much of a problem to move that many people out of ther in time to get to other ceremonys.

My mistake then. Sorry for believing posters rumors as fact.

(07-01-2013 11:31 AM)JMUsince89 Wrote:  No it's not I know this for a fact. Longhorn has been missinformed. I would have direct involvement if it were going to be there. JMU PD, JMU facility's and other do not want it being there its just much of a problem to move that many people out of ther in time to get to other ceremonys.

So how does it feel to be referred to as a "minor, mid-level micro-manager? :)

Do any of the individual colleges use the Quad for satellite graduation? Though it took ridiculously long to get through the whole ceremony, I really liked the setting there for my graduation. I don't know when the Quad ceased being used for the full school. My year was '87 and it was still an all college ceremony there.

I think it was English when I was there.

(07-01-2013 11:31 AM)JMUsince89 Wrote:  No it's not I know this for a fact. Longhorn has been missinformed. I would have direct involvement if it were going to be there. JMU PD, JMU facility's and other do not want it being there its just much of a problem to move that many people out of ther in time to get to other ceremonys.

I have no knowledge of whether it's being moved back to BFS, but doesn't practically every other school in the country have a group ceremony of some sort and then a bunch of smaller ceremonies? And if there's a time crunch, wouldn't the simple solution be to leave a little more time between the ceremonies?

For what it's worth, my daughter and most of her friends felt pretty gypped to not have a group ceremony.

Also, do you have any involvement in the transportation situation? In theory, the plan to provide bus service to all of the surrounding apartments and hotels (similar to football Saturdays, I guess) is a great idea given the horrible on-campus parking situation. In reality, however, it didn't work. The buses didn't show up anywhere near to the scheduled times or frequency and were often already full. A lot of students ended up walking to campus from a fair distance and some didn't make it until their ceremonies had already started.

(07-01-2013 11:23 AM)JMUsince89 Wrote:  Dont think you'll ever see graduation in BFS again the logistics of moving that many people around to sattilite ceromonys is just to much. 2 years of BFS contruction showed the admin its much better to just have the individual colleges have their own ceromonys. BFS will never again host the JMU graduation. It is however used for some other sports other than football. Ive seen the black lines painted on the field for fieldhockey or lacrosse don't know which one. With the new university park final playing field being completed this year I doubt that BFS will be used for anything but football from now on

Sorry, I believe your wrong about commencement. And BFS has not been used for any sport other than FB for more than a decade.

Commencement will return and be in the stadium in the Spring of 2014.

(07-01-2013 01:13 PM)olddawg Wrote:  Do any of the individual colleges use the Quad for satellite graduation? Though it took ridiculously long to get through the whole ceremony, I really liked the setting there for my graduation. I don't know when the Quad ceased being used for the full school. My year was '87 and it was still an all college ceremony there.

The Quad was host to the CAL ceremony, and that will probably continue as many of the HQs for the Liberal Arts programs are in buildings on the Quad.

(07-01-2013 11:31 AM)JMUsince89 Wrote:  No it's not I know this for a fact. Longhorn has been missinformed. I would have direct involvement if it were going to be there. JMU PD, JMU facility's and other do not want it being there its just much of a problem to move that many people out of ther in time to get to other ceremonys.

PM me...my sources are pretty solid. I'd like to know who you're talking to.

And for the record...JMU PD and facility folks are great, but they're not the final word on this. The students and their families have sway.