Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify eligibility requirements for commencement. A previous version of this story included identifying details that have been removed at the request of a source.

Students have voiced concerns following SMU President Jay Hartzell’s announcement via email on Tuesday, March 31, that SMU will no longer hold a December commencement in favor of an all-university commencement in May.

While students who graduated in the fall semester could previously walk the stage in a December ceremony, students who complete their degrees in August or December will now be invited to participate in commencement the following spring. Students must complete their degree requirements to participate in school or college degree recognition ceremonies. 

Madeline Wingfield, a December 2025 SMU graduate now working in Atlanta, Georgia, was shocked by the change. She feels that having only one all-university commencement ceremony in May will inconvenience future December graduates.

“I can’t imagine expecting to graduate, and then you get a job far away and then you’re expected to fly home for your graduation,” Wingfield said. “It’s making past students feel like they have to fly back, book hotels, bring all their family back, I feel like it’s an inconvenience.”

Wingfield transferred to SMU from Stetson University in 2023. She said the university no longer holds December commencement ceremonies. As a result, friends who were supposed to graduate at the same time as her are now saving money and arranging travel to return to campus for their May commencement.

President Hartzell stated that student government leaders “provided us with feedback on this plan.” However, Student Senate Chief of Staff Crystal Smith said that she felt the decision had been finalized before he spoke to the Senate executive team.

“He was asking us more [about] what to do to announce it, or how to make sure the upcoming December grads feel recognized and everything,” Smith said. “To me, I thought the decision had already been made.”

In an email to The Daily Campus, Hartzell confirmed that he did meet with student government leaders to hear their perspectives.

“For this initial transition year, students who are on track to complete their degrees in December 2026 may be eligible to participate in the All-University ceremony this May,” Hartzell said. “That idea, in particular, came from student government leadership.”

Smith and Student Body President Will Leathers both said that the decision came primarily from looking at universities similar to SMU, many of which do not offer a December commencement.

“A lot of peer institutions and aspirant universities don’t have a December graduation and that financial burden,” Leathers said. “Once he laid it out, it made sense.”

The exact financial burden of holding a December commencement is unclear. Provost and Executive Vice President Rachel Davis Mersey told Student Senate on March 31 that cost was the final factor in making the cut.

“One of the major dominoes, quite frankly, is cost,” Mersey said. “As you can imagine, there’s going to be a tremendous amount of infrastructure that goes into preparing the stadium. It’s going to feel a lot more celebratory, and so in an effort to do that honestly, it came down to a business decision.”

Hartzell’s community-wide email also added that the decision would allow for a larger, more significant celebration, especially for the growing number of students graduating on time.

“Focusing on one All-University ceremony allows the full SMU community to come together and concentrate our energy and resources on creating a more meaningful event,” Hartzell stated. “This decision also reflects positive momentum in student success rates. More SMU undergraduates are completing their degrees within four years – a point of real pride and a reflection of our commitment to the value of an SMU degree.”

Senior Arianna Villarreal, who will complete her degrees a semester later after becoming a double-major in economics and public policy, remains hopeful about the new situation despite initial disappointment, adding she would still be proud to graduate from SMU.

“While I was sad to hear the news, if life or SMU taught us anything, it is that a perseverant and innovative spirit can turn any situation into a joyful one,” Villarreal said. “I trust we will find a meaningful way to recognize December graduates.”

It also creates challenges for transfer students. Fahim Faizal, a first-gen international student who transferred from Collin College, is on a full-ride scholarship for five semesters. As such, he’s expected to graduate in December, but he worries he won’t be able to celebrate.

“I spent over two years working relentlessly toward the opportunity to attend SMU,” Faizal said. “After everything it took to get here, the thought that I may not be able to experience a graduation that truly reflects and celebrates that journey feels incredibly disheartening.”

Another expected December graduate, junior Kathryn Lennon, intends to walk in May. Despite that, Lennon said she thinks the decision will negatively impact lots of students.

“I am lucky that my internship is in Dallas and that I will be able to walk the stage with the rest of my class in May,” Lennon said. “But for those whose internships [or] jobs aren’t local, they miss out on the opportunity to experience commencement if it’s not offered in December, an experience that, in my opinion, every student has earned from all the hard work put into their college years.”

Wingfield considers herself lucky to have experienced commencement during SMU’s now final December commencement ceremony in 2025.

“The December commencement was already amazing,” Wingfield said. “My family loved it, they had a good time with the speakers and the whole presentation of everything and honestly, I did too. It was a great memory to have.”

A limited group of December 2026 grads have been allowed to walk this upcoming May commencement or in May 2027. The Office of the University Registrar sent an email to eligible students following President Hartzell’s announcement, offering the chance to attend commencement before graduating.

“If you would like, you may choose to participate in the All-University Commencement ceremony on May 16, 2026, at Ford Stadium,” the Registrar’s email stated. “This new evening format brings the full University community together for a more unified and memorable celebration, an experience that reflects the energy and ambition of SMU at its best.”

Wingfield questioned whether moving to a single ceremony would bring the SMU community together.

“Bringing the community together? I feel like the community was all together at my graduation at least,” Wingfield said. “I had so many professors. The stadium was packed to the brim with people, so you felt the community there.”

However, students who choose the path to participate in the All-University Commencement ceremony in May will not be allowed to participate in their school-specific ceremony.

“Because your degree requirements will not yet be complete at that time, you may participate in the All-University ceremony at Ford Stadium but will not walk across the stage at your school or college degree recognition ceremony,” the Registrar’s email stated.

Faizal said that May 2026 was more accessible but felt undeserved.

“Attending the May 2026 ceremony doesn’t feel right, as I still have another semester to complete my degree requirements,” Faizal said.

Graduating doctoral students will continue to have a hooding ceremony in December. The university’s May 2026 commencement will take place on May 16, featuring NFL Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson as the honorary speaker.