One thing Gov. Tom Corbett won't have to worry about while delivering the commencement address to Millersville University graduates on Saturday is any pointy heeled shoes being tossed at him.

The university bars shoes with narrow wedges and narrow heels on the artificial turf of Chryst Field, where the ceremony will take place.

But there are other plans for the governor in the works that will make his visit to this Lancaster County college campus less than pleasant.

Millersville University students and alumni created this photo of Gov. Tom Corbett as part of an effort to show their displeasure about having him as the spring commencement speaker.

Some graduating students, alumni and others have been organizing demonstrations to make it known to Corbett that he is not their choice to be the one delivering inspirational words of wisdom to the Class of 2013.

Corbett was selected by a university administrator from a list of approved speakers identified by a commencement committee a couple years ago. But graduating seniors and the larger university community feel betrayed by that decision.

They do not associate Corbett with bringing good things to their school.

They blame him for the budget cutbacks that led to the elimination of the men's cross country and track and field program. They blame him for the reduced hours they can work at their campus jobs. They blame him for the cuts in state support that led to larger class sizes, lost jobs and high tuition.

So they are planning to protest the man they hold responsible.

A sizable number of students and likely spectators are expected to wear black armbands over a sleeve that organizers will encourage be moved over their eyes or mouth during Corbett’s speech. Millersville alumnus Jerrod “Rizzo” Mertz is behind that effort.

Millersville graduating senior Kyle D. Johnson would prefer no commencement speaker to having Gov. Tom Corbett speak at his college commencement.

Graduating senior Kyle D. Johnson has his own quiet protest planned during the ceremony that he said will involve over 100 people. He’s staying mum about the details because he wants it to be a surprise. This much he would say, “it will be shown and known that he is not welcome.”

But he has assured university officials that when Corbett steps up to the microphone, there will be no booing. He doesn't anticipate much clapping either.

University spokeswoman Janet Kacskos said university officials have talked to student groups about the need to be respectful. But she said they also are not discouraging students from exercising their freedom of speech as long as it does take away from the occasion for others who don’t share their views.

She said the university has forewarned the governor’s staff about what they know of what might be in store for their boss that day.

Corbett spokeswoman Janet Kelley said in an e-mail, the governor considers it an honor to be invited to speak and said she is “sure everyone will be respectful and make it a wonderful day for these graduates.”

As for his speech, she said it will focus on the graduates.

“The day is about the graduates, their hard work and achievements, as well as their families who support them,” Kelley said.

Despite the student sentiment that the governor has failed them by not adequately funding their school, she said, “Governor Corbett has worked hard to keep costs and tuition down for the students, and their families, who attend the universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, including Millersville.’’

Corbett proposed cutting in half funding for the State System in his 2011-12 budget, but much of that cut was avoided through budget negotiations with lawmakers.

He followed that up last year by again proposing a double-digit percentage cut. But Corbett later took credit for a pledge secured by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Jake Corman, R-Centre County, from university leaders to keep tuition under the rate of inflation in exchange for avoiding any state funding cut for this year.

Still, with operating costs rising, that left the public universities in a financial bind, leading to more cuts on campuses.

Johnson, 23, of Philadelphia, personally feels disdain toward his university and the governor’s policies for the way it impacted his college experience.

The former member of the university’s track program that was subsequently disbanded saw the sport taken away from his former teammates. He also said he was denied extra hours at his campus job to help him pay his way through school because of the school’s budgetary constraints. And as a result of a gap between grants and college costs, he is graduating $50,000 in debt.

“So I find it disrespectful when the university says we’re bringing in the person who put us in more debt that led to no jobs on campus, people not coming back to school, causing so much pain. Why bring that person to the university and act like he’s on our side,” Johnson said.

A university administrator has apologized to students for marring what is supposed to be a day of celebration for graduates, Johnson said. But for him, it’s meaningless.

“When you apologize, it’s supposed to be fixed. It’s supposed to change something. So why apologize if nothing changes? To be real about it, I would prefer no commencement speaker,” Johnson said.

Students and alumni created a No Corbett at Millersville website in March to denounce the university's decision to have the governor as the commencement speaker. They posted a petition on it to garner support. As of last evening, 2,259 people had signed it.

Additionally, several faculty members issued a statement (below) that was published in the semester’s final edition of the student newspaper last week echoing Johnson’s view that Corbett was a poor choice and having him as the speaker was a sign of disrespect to the students.

Millersville philosophy professor Chuck Ward said he wasn’t among those who signed that letter but he said he supported its sentiment. He plans to participate in the commencement ceremony, he said, because “I’m anxious to see what happens.”

Ward sees this ordeal as one last life lesson for the graduates.

“In a certain sense, this is kind of a distraction from a more typical year that’s just celebration," he said. "On the other hand, they are engaged with what are really important public policy questions, and that’s not all together a bad thing.”