Convocation not only opens the academic school year, but honors TCU professors receiving awards and achievements, as well as as recognizing new faculty joining the Horned Frog family.

But, many students do not know that.

Students say that instead of going to convocation, they spend their time catching up on work.

Classes during the time of the actual presentation are “dismissed by the University,” TCU Executive Director of Community Projects Margaret Kelly wrote in an email.

“The university encourages all students to attend.” Kelly wrote. “Any individual professor may choose to make attendance mandatory or offer extra credit to his or her students.”

Sophomore Luke Beasley said that given the opportunity, any student is going to “sleep, take a nap or be more productive.”

First-year students Audrey Spiller and Marlena Markland said they did not go to convocation because they were studying.

“I heard it was really long,” Markland said. “I was worried about timing.”

First-year student Mackenzie Marks said she didn’t go because she didn’t know what it was.

“I just know that my morning classes were cancelled,” Marks said, “I heard it was because of convocation, but I don’t really know what that is.”

Beasley sad that TCU excels in advertising other events on campus, but convocation is mostly unheard of.

“I’ve never seen anything about convocation or what it is,” Beasley said. “Or what benefit it is for students to come.”

Marks said that teachers could also talk more about convocation in classes.

“I was just told by my teacher that class was cancelled,” she said. “I feel like they should tell us what it is so we are more informed.”