University officials made the arrangement after receiving what they called a "reasonable request" from students.
After Ohio University graduating seniors receive their diplomas and toss their caps at the end of April, they will be able to continue the tradition of taking pictures in front of the Class Gateway.
A portion of OU’s gateway on College Green will be accessible during Commencement weekend from April 29 through May 1 for photo opportunities, according to a university news release.
The project team has modified the demolition schedule to preserve “the inscription stone and architectural element on either side,” the release states.
The fences around the area will be relocated and a platform for photos with College Green in the background will also be available.
“Some members of the university community expressed their disappointment that the Class Gateway would not be available for photos during Commencement weekend, and we listened to those concerns, ultimately deciding to slightly modify the construction schedule to allow photographs at the site,” Joe Lalley, senior associate vice president of information technologies and administrative services, said in the release.
The project aims to make repairs on a tunnel carrying heating and electrical items, according to a previous Post report. The project originally was scheduled to begin after Commencement in 2015, but the discovery of issues in utility tunnels underneath the gateway pushed it back.
Many graduating seniors, such as Ashley Nader, a senior studying pre-medicine and biology, are excited by the administration’s decision.
“I just feel like it’s been a part of our Ohio University tradition to take a picture by the gate with all your accomplishments,” Nader said.
When construction first started about three weeks ago and students learned they would be unable to take a picture in front of the gateway, graduating seniors took the opportunity to voice their discontent on Twitter.
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“I’m really glad they are opening it because that is a tradition to get your graduation picture at college gateway,” Cheyenne Sears, a senior studying French and linguistics, said. “I’m glad that (the administration) listened to us for once.”
OU officials said students’ reactions caused the change in plans.
“This was a reasonable request from the students, and we were happy to be able to reach a compromise,” Lalley said in the release.
The modification to the schedule will not increase the cost of the project or cause a major delay in the construction schedule, Lalley said. OU hopes to complete the construction project, which has a total budget of $1.7 million, in time for Homecoming in October, according to a previous Post report.
—Jonny Palermo contributed to this report
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