Commencement Ceremony Checklist

Chairman (Anselmo Lastra)

Visual program arranged one week ahead of time.
Send message to faculty requesting their participation in the commencement activities and reminding them to wear nametags.
Send message to faculty asking for one slide for Ph.D. candidates participating in the ceremony, to be shown during the presentation.
On day of Commencement, obtain from Student Services Manager a list of people to be thanked for their help in organizing the commencement ceremony.
Act as Master of Ceremonies for commencement ceremony.
Coordinate the assembly of graduation candidates in the correct order just prior to the start of the ceremony.
Assist in serving cake at the reception.
Coordinate assembly and timing of power point slides.
TA of the Year award:
- Solicit nominations in late March
- Order check for winner
- Invite winner
- Present certificate and check
Notify winners of CSC and CSSA awards

Get list of Ph.D. graduates' names from Student Services Manager. Contact appropriate advisors to make sure they either will attend ceremony or will send a representative to introduce their advisee's research.
Pick up Ph.D. diplomas from Registrar's Office in Student and Academic Services Building North.
Assist Chairman with duties during commencement ceremony.
Prior to start of ceremony, collect Ph.D. hoods from graduates.
Organize graduates in SN 014 for ceremony.

Assist Chairman with duties during commencement ceremony. In particular, shake hands with M.S. graduates.
Assist with hooding of Ph.D. graduates.
Hand out graduate gifts.

Assist Chairman with duties during commencement ceremony. In particular, shake hands with B.S. graduates.
Assist Chairman with cutting the cake at reception.
Hand out undergraduate gifts.

Send out annual reminder to people involved in planning commencement ceremony, asking them to review this checklist and carry out their assignments. Arrange planning meetings as needed.
Obtain addresses of students who are to graduate (B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. candidates).
Prepare invitations and send them to the prospective B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. graduates, as well as B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. graduates from the previous August and December terms.
Order food and drink for reception. Order cake from Whole Foods' bakery.
Prepare gift-wrapped coasters which will be given to all M.S. and Ph.D. students at the ceremony.
Give list of names for name plates for the M.S. and Ph.D. graduates to Bil Hays.
Give list of Ph.D., M.S. and B.S. graduates' names to Communications Manager for preparation of commencement program and honorary certificates.

Proofread the commencement program for potential spelling mistakes in graduates' names, prior to printing.

Give list of Ph.D. graduates' names to Chairman and Associate Chair for Academic Affairs.
Buy flowers and tablecloths.
Request large trash bins from Facilities.
Set tables and set up food and drink, with the assistance of the student marshalls.

Make sure that the ceremony location is set up with everything it needs. If needed, get assistance from the student marshalls.
Rope off a section of seats in the ceremony location for the graduates to sit down after they have been awarded their degree.

Prior to ceremony, provide Chairman with a list of people to be thanked for their help in organizing the commencement ceremony.

**Reserve location for next year's ceremony on the Monday immediately following the current year's ceremony.

Recruit several student marshalls who can assist Graduate and Undergraduate Student Services managers with the set up and clean up of tables, food, and decorations at the commencement ceremony.
Assign student marshalls to hand out commencement programs.
CSSA Teaching Award.
- Solicit nominations for the CSSA Teaching Award.
- Invite award winners to attend commencement ceremony.
- Notify Chairman of the award winners. Notify Publications Manager also so that plates can be ordered to go on the plaques in the lobby.
- Attend commencement ceremony to announce award winners and to present certificates to them. Prepare a statement to read about each award winner, based on comments from nominating students.

CSC Teaching Award (for undergraduate teaching).
- Solicit nominations for the CSC Teaching Award.
- Invite award winners to attend commencement ceremony.
- Notify Chairman of the award winner. Notify Publications Manager also so that plates can be ordered to go on the plaques in the lobby.
- Attend commencement ceremony to announce award winners and to present certificates to them. Prepare a statement to read about each award winner, based on comments from nominating students.

Coordinate hanging of backdrop for ceremony stage.
Create signs indicating where ceremony is being held. If ceremony is being held outside of Sitterson Hall, create directional signs/maps if needed.
Prepare slide show and other materials for prelude and exit in time for rehearsal date.
Coordinate photography of ceremony and reception. Either take photos personally or contact another staff member to do so (sometime prior to ceremony, reserve seat for photographer close to the front with good view of podium).
Prepare commencement program and coordinate with Student Services Manager to proofread it. Check with Student Services Manager on how many to print.
Prepare honorary certificates that will be given to graduates who will not be receiving their actual diploma at the ceremony (B.S. and M.S. graduates). Order additional certificate holders and parchment colored paper, as needed.
Make certificates for CSC, CSSA and Teaching Assistant of the Year award winners.
Make nametags with the names of the Ph.D. candidates who will be attending. The nametags will be attached to their hoods, which are collected prior to the ceremony, then returned to them during the ceremony.
Have post-it notes and pens available for graduates to write their names phonetically on their honorary certificates.

Coordinate with housekeeping staff to ensure that the Sitterson lobby is cleaned well and that the lobby bathrooms have been stocked with extra supplies.

Set Sitterson Hall's exterior and interior doors to be unlocked for the time period covering the commencement ceremony, and some time before and after (10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.).
Arrange for Facilities Services to replace any Sitterson lobby lights that need to be replaced.
Obtain names of CSSA Teaching Award and Teaching Assistant Award winners and CSC Teaching Award winners from Communications Manager. Order nameplates with names of winners on them, and arrange for them to be added to plaques in the lobby. (Bil Hays)
Obtain names of Ph.D. and M.S. graduates from Student Services Manager. Order and install nameplates for MS and PhD graduate plaques in the lobby. (Bil Hays)
Verify that microphone/sound system will be available.
Arrange for a facilities staff member to be in the room prior to and during the ceremony to run A/V equipment.
Check the state of the room Friday before the ceremony for the following:
- Check the ability to show a short video at the beginning of the ceremony.
- Check audio system for musical accompaniment.
- Check the microphone and lectern.
See Detailed AV Checklist for use in Chapman 211
Audio files for Pomp & Circumstance and Carolina in my mind are located at http://video.cs.unc.edu/audio/
Coordinate with the ITS Hotline staff to make sure they will have someone available the day of the ceremony.