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Four years (or more) of college have been completed. An application for graduation has been picked up. The instructions are to be returned completed with a check for $20. So why after all these years and all the money already spent must another $20 be given to the university? This one last fee does have a purpose.

The commencement ceremony is organized by Barbara Smith, coordinator of special events for Cleveland State University. In an interview on June 22, Smith said the entire budget for graduation comes from the $20 each student pays with his application to graduate.

Cleveland State graduates approximately 3,000 students each year. To keep costs down, a commencement ceremony is held once a year for all students who have completed a degree program by the end of fall semester the previous year, spring semester or summer semester.

With 3,000 graduates, the special events department has a $60,000 for commencement.

Starting in February of each year, Smith said, all students scheduled to graduate that year receive a commencement guide book. This book tells the prospective graduate all he! she needs to know about graduation day. The cost for the books and mailings comes out of the commencement budget.

The graduation fee also pays for the processing of the applications, printing of the diplomas, printing of the commencement ceremony programs and the ceremony itself.

Graduation day consists of two full ceremonies. In the morning three of the University's colleges hold a combined ceremony.

Last year the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and First College held commencement in the morning and the Business College, College of Education and College of Urban Studies held ceremonies in the afternoon. Each year the colleges alternate times for the ceremony to be held.

When asked why the university did not hold commencement ceremonies at the end of each semester, Smith said it was to keep costs down. Although CSU holds two commencement ceremonies in the spring, the convocation center is rented for one whole day each year instead of two days a year.

Smith said holding commencement one day a year, for graduates from throughout the school year, has kept costs down. Keeping costs down for commencement has allowed the University to keep the application fee for graduation the same for more than five years.

If graduation is in the near future, there are application deadlines. For spring graduates the application deadline is during Fall Semester, in November; for summer graduates the deadline is during Spring Semester, in February; and for fall graduates the dealine is also Pring Semester, but in April. For more information, call the graduation office at 687-0000.

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