The university will no longer host Black and Gold Convocation, which welcomes new students to App State.

Provost Darrell Kruger announced at the last Faculty Senate meeting Oct. 7 that after feedback, primarily from faculty, the program would be replaced with a similar one during welcome weekend at the beginning of the fall semester.

Faculty Senate Chair Michael Behrent, said faculty gave feedback during the Faculty Senate retreat in late August.

“The concerns were primarily that relatively few people, including faculty, showed up at the event, and that canceling Tuesday classes, which they did for that event, interfered with teaching schedules,” Behrent said.

Behrent said he shared these concerns with Kruger during their monthly meeting.

Megan Hayes, associate vice chancellor and chief communications officer for University Communications, wrote in an email that the comments faculty members provided supported the goal of continual improvement for convocation.

“This feedback, as well as that from event debriefing meetings, indicated that changes in both the event structure and moving it earlier in the semester could increase attendance and make the event more meaningful as an event that celebrates the commencing of the academic year and for many, the start of their college experience,” Hayes wrote.

Behrent said despite faculty concerns over missed class time, the administration said all classes offered this semester had the same number of “meeting minutes.” 

Hayes wrote that the event will take place during welcome weekend in 2020, though no plans are set in place.

“The teams that work on the student orientation and welcome week programming are continually seeking ways to improve attendance as well as the academic and community-building experiences connected to the critical first few weeks in a new student’s college experience,” Hayes wrote.