Linda,

> Joe....Enquiring minds with a gazillion grades to process are begging
> for mercy also....

I believe it!  I sure wouldn't want your job the last couple of days of
the semester :)

> I'm really not sure there are any good
> answers....within two and a half days we (Records) need to process
> grades, certify graduation candidates, prepare for commencement, notify
> any students that didn't meet graduation requirements (and preferably
> not Sunday morning), have grades ready for any students who may need
> notification of prerequisites or junior standing for summer courses, and
> you're right not have commencement on Mother's Day.....whew....I'm
> exhausted thinking about it.

Whew is right!  I hope you have vacation scheduled for the second week
of May :)

I think I proposed a good answer, or at least a better one.  Move
graduation back a day or two (or move the start and end of the semester
up a day or two; either way, it amounts to the same thing) leaving a
larger gap between the last final and the "drop dead" time for grades.
Where is it carved in stone that commencement has to be on a Sunday
afternoon?  (Every other university I know of has it on Saturday ... all
three of the diplomas on my wall were awarded on Saturdays ... not that
I am advocating moving the event up a day *unless* we move the whole
semester schedule up two or three days).  If not Saturday, Monday or
Tuesday night the week after finals would seem to work pretty well.

Who actually decides on the schedule for each semester and the dates of
final exams and commencement?  Would it take an act of God to change it?
  Would it take an act of the Administration (maybe even tougher to
arrange? :)  I assume the academic calendar comes from somewhere, and
probably not on stone tablets, but it sure seems to be treated that way
around here :P

Have a great day!

Joe