Commencement will come back to Hornet Stadium at Sac State this spring, and according to university officials, the move has nothing to do with Janis Heaphy?s controversial speech last December.

Faculty members from the colleges of engineering, math and sciences have requested that the university move commencement back to campus, according to Vice President of University Affairs Robert Jones.

“This has nothing to do with the Janis Heaphy uproar last winter, in fact, winter commencement will still be held at Arco Arena,” Jones said.

The first winter commencement took place in 1993. Before then, students who finished school in the winter went through graduation ceremonies in May.

“People would like to see commencement at Sac State again because it?s a nice opportunity for families to see the school, and for students to show their parents where they spent the last four years,” Jones said. “We?re returning to a tradition we?ve had for almost 50 years,”

Jones said each year there is a 12 percent chance of rain in the past 53 years.

Jones presented this idea to the Associated Students, Inc. board meeting on Feb. 13.

“All their heads were wagging positively,” he said. “Faculty senate and all the deans have also expressed support for this idea,”

The final decision has yet to be made by President Donald Gerth.

Commencement costs the university $ 60,000 at Arco Arena and approximately $80,000 to be set up and held at Hornet Stadium.

“The stadium costs more because we have to provide reimbursements for paying campus staff overtime. We have to provide campus police staff, emergency medical services and other things which are all customary services that commencements should provide,” Jones said.

Another cost is the building of a stage at the stadium.

“Arco has stages already set up inside,” Jones said.

“I think it would be nice to have commencement on campus if the facilities could handle the number of people who attend,” said junior Shannon Schultze. “It looks like it would be less expensive for the school compared to what it would cost to rent Arco Arena.”