Commencement speakers in-spire us and challenge us to pursue our dreams, but how are they chosen?
Don Rosenblum, Ph.D., dean of the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, said the under-graduate ceremony is for graduates from the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship and the Abraham S. Fischler School of Education. The ceremony’s student speaker is chosen from these schools.
Rosenblum said the student speaker is selected from the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship and the Abraham S. Fischler School of Education. Ten of the year’s outstanding graduate students — one or two from each program — and the recipient of the James Farquhar award, which is given to a student who represents excellence in leadership, scholarship and service, tryout to be the student commencement speaker.
These students are also honored at the Baccalaureate Reception, lead the procession at graduation, and carry the gonfalon (ceremonial banner) representing their division. These 11 students are invited to try out for the opportunity to address the graduating class. One is selected by faculty and staff. That student works with a faculty member to improve his/her speech and speaks on behalf of all graduating students at commencement.
There is also a keynote speaker at commencement. Rosenblum said he believes the keynote speaker gives students the final lecture.
“We consider this person to be an extension of the Distinguished Speaker Series,” Rosenblum said. “Their comments should be challeng-ing, meaningful and memorable reflecting what they have done and their message to students.”
The commencement speaker is chosen by a committee made up of faculty from Farquhar, Huizenga, and Fischler. In addition, the Division of Student Affairs selects one or two students, usually from the Undergraduate Student Government Association, to be on the committee.
The committee meets two or three times to exchange ideas for a possible speaker and recommend several. They present these names to the Office of the Dean, which selects a speaker by process of elimination based on availability of the speaker.
The Office of the Dean brings the name to the president, the chancellor and the provost for affirmation. The president, chancellor and provost then present the speaker to the Board of Trustees which affirms the recommendation and the awarding of an honorary degree.
At the graduate level, Frank DePiano, Ph.D., executive vice president and university provost for academic affairs, said that seven schools are involved in the graduate commencement ceremony: Farquhar, the Criminal Justice Institute, the Graduate Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences, Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship, the Center for Psychological Studies and the Oceanographic Center.
DePiano said the seven deans receive commencement speaker nominations from their respective colleges. The list of nominations is narrowed down by availability of the speakers. Each of the deans weighs in on his/her choices. The list is ranked and one speaker is chosen.
The commencement ceremonies of the Shepard Broad Law Center and the Abraham S. Fischler School of Education and Human Services choose their own commencement speakers. They involve faculty and student input. The dean of each school brings the name chosen to DePiano who brings it to the chancellor. It is then approved by the Board of Trustees.
In the Health Professions Division, the deans of the colleges meet with Fred Lippman, Ed.D., HPD chancellor, to choose a speaker. Lippman then presents the name to DePiano. However, the College of Allied Health and Nursing has its own undergraduate and graduate ceremonies (except for physical therapy), although DePiano said it may be a part of the HPD ceremony in the future.
DePiano said deciding personnel look for speakers who are timely and relevant to current issues within the school.
“They’re looking for somebody who will have some meaning to that group of students at that particular time,” DePiano said.
