Commencement at the Large University

Abstract

T HE staging of proper commencement ceremonies has become a matter of deep concern to university administrators. Such ceremonies are important because they have great sentimental and inspirational value for the graduating Senior; they are the focal point for alumni rallies and reunions; they are the largest academic functions open to parents, friends, and the general public; and they provide the one occasion of the year when the whole university dons its colorful ceremonial dress, recalls its noble traditions, and reminds the public of its ancient, honorable, and international heritage. Such ceremonies can be a vital means of rekindling loyalty to the high ideals of scholarship and learning; they can also be an important means of winning friends-and possibly donors-for an institution. As university enrollments have risen to the unprecedented figures of ten, fifteen, and twenty thousand, the staging of the traditional commencement ceremony has become increasingly difficult. Handling masses of students and spectators requires a large and highly trained staff; providing physical facilities, decorations, tickets, degree lists, and diplomas costs thousands of dollars; presenting a complicated and impressive program demands expert organization and masterful stage management; and, finally, limiting the ceremony to a reasonable time and yet retaining the personal touch despite the great number of students involved pose difficulties which are almost insuperable. As chairman of the Committee on Public Ceremonies at the University of California, Berkeley, I am acutely aware of the problems involved in ceremonies of this kind. During the past month I have visited five other leading educational institutions-Cornell, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-to investigate how they have met similar problems. At each institution I discovered a keen awareness of the difficulties involved and a sincere eagerness to exchange information and to learn the best procedures and practices. I believe that the information I gathered at these institutions, plus my own experience at California, can be of great value to other universities wrestling with the same problems. Administrative organizations for staging commencements differ from institution to institution. Usually, the secretary of the university is in