CAL POLY COMMENCEMENT...•Consulted with Commencement Policy Committee (Oct 2014) •Support from Commencement Operations Committee (Sept 2014 –June 2015) Once a decision was reached:

CALPOLYCOMMENCEMENT

Mustangs Forever

CalPolyCommencement:FocusedontheStudentExperience

CommencementPolicyCommitteeUniversityStandingCommittee

Scope:•Makesrecommendationsandadvises PresidentandVicePresidentoncommencementpolicyrelatingto:

• Invitedkeynotespeakers

• Studentcommencementfees

• Operationalpolicyonposthumous degrees

• Student’s eligibilitytograduate

• Petitionrequestprocess

• Parkingandtrafficimpacts

• Guestaccommodations(includingADA)

• Officialacademicregalia

• CollegepairingsatFallandSpringceremonies

• Culturalcommencementceremonies

• Honorarydegrees

• Ticketingrequirements

•Meetstwiceyearly•Consists of16members

Commencement Policy Committee

PolicyCommitteemembers:

• Chair– VicePresidentforStudentAffairs

• TwoFacultyGrandMarshals

• President’s ChiefofStaff• TwoASIstudentrepresentatives

• ProvostnomineeforAcademicAffairs• AssistantVicePresident,AlumniRelations

• Facultyrepresentative,CAFES• Facultyrepresentative,CAED• Facultyrepresentative,OCOB

• Facultyrepresentative,CENG• Facultyrepresentative,CLA

• Facultyrepresentative,CSM• DirectorofCommencement

Commencement Operations Committee

CommencementPolicyCommittee,Cont...UniversityStandingCommittee

Currentmembers:

AndrewSchaffner&ChipAppel

RachelFernflores(JessicaDarin– May‘16)

CyrusEbadat&EmilieMorse

DeanforCAED,ChristineTheodoropoulos

EllenCohune

AnnDeLay

CorneliusNuworsoo

EricOlsen

DeanArakaki

MichaelLatner

TomGutierrez

TessaEspinoza

KeithHumphrey


CommencementOperationsCommitteeUniversityStandingCommittee

Scope:• Executesallcommencementeventsthroughouttheyear.• Acollaborativeworkingcommitteefocusedonalloperationsandlogisticsrelatedtocommencement.• Meetsmonthlyduringacademicyear• Consists of26members

Responsibilitiesinclude:• Comprehensivemarketingandcommunicationstrategy

• Electronicandhardcopyticketingforover40,000people

• Campus-wide facilityoperations

• Security,safetyandcampus-wideparking

• PresidentialeventsandstewardshipofVIPguests

• Campus-wide signage,traffic,andcrowdcontrol

• ADAcompliancy

• Collaborationwithallinternalandexternalvendors

• CollaborationwithcityofSanLuisObispo,including promotionalbannersdowntown,

communicationwithhotels

OperationsCommitteemembers:

• TwoFacultyGrandMarshals• ASIstudentrepresentative

• TwoOfficeofthePresidentrepresentatives• ProvostnomineeforAcademicAffairs

• UniversityMarketing&Communications• Asst.VicePresidentofAlumniRelations&

Alumnistaff• FacilitiesManager

• Athletics• UniversityBookstore

• FacultyfromMusicDepartment• UPDCommanderandParkingManager

• CommencementStaff• DirectorofDisabilityResources


CommencementOperationsCommittee,Cont...UniversityStandingCommittee

Currentmembers:AndrewSchaffner&ChipAppel

SethBorges

DianeHaupt&DanaMatteson

StaciShoals

RoyaaSilver&SashaPalazzo

EllenCohune&MaureenO’Connor

DonaldPopham

StaciaMomburg

PrestonSirois&AnnetteBly

AndrewMcMahan&ThomasDavies

BrendaTrobaugh&GwenNielsen

KatieStubberfield&TessaEspinoza

DebiHill&VanessaDominquez

Partners in Success

Additionalgroupsthatareregularlyconsulted:(Partofourcollaborativeandinclusive decision-makingprocess)

•VariousStudentGroupsandCommittees

•ASIStudentGovernmentLeaders

•ASIWorkshop

•ParentAdvisory Council

•Dean’sCouncil

•President’s Cabinet

•CityofSanLuisObispo ElectedOfficials

•UniversityHousing(relatingtoconcurrentmove-outtraffic)

•StudentAffairsSeniorLeadershipTeam

•Surveyfeedbackfromstudents,parents/supportersandfaculty/staff

Partners in Success

Logistics and Planning Time Line: 10,000 ft. view

SpringCommencementSnapshot

Monthly• HoldmonthlyCommencementOperations

Committeemeetings

9-12monthsprior• Reviewsurveyfeedback• Finalizekeynotespeaker(s)• Finalizedate/time/structure

8monthsprior• DevelopMar/Comm Plantogradsandfamilies• FacilitateOpenForumsforcollegecoordinators• Createchecklistsforcolleges• HoldCommencementPolicyCommitteeMeeting

7monthsprior• FinalizeHonoraryDegreeRecipients

6monthsprior• Contactandreserveallvendors/services• Developinteractivemobileapp• Initiatecommunicationtograds• FacilitateoutstandingSeniorAwardnominees

5monthsprior•Finalizecollege/departmenteventdetails•Confirmallspacesaresecure/scheduled•ConfirmChancellor’sOfficeattendees•Processallpetitionrequests

4monthsprior•Manage/authorCommencementProgram•Mailmaterialstoallparentsofeligiblegraduates•Finalizekeynotespeakerdetails/requests•FinalizeCulturalCommencementceremonies

3monthsprior•Organize/coordinateCommencementFair•Design/coordinatecommencementticketing•Author/finalizecommencementscripts•HoldCommencementPolicyCommitteeMeeting•Coordinateallaccessibilityservices,shuttleroutes,wheelchairrentalsandclosedcaptioningservices•Finalizeprocessionalandseatingchartsforplatform•Requestfinalremarksfromallceremonyspeakers

2monthsprior• Disseminatecomprehensivegradinstructionpamphlet• CollaboratewithGrandMarshalstoorganizeMarshals• Hireover100studentemployeesandvolunteers

1monthprior• Walk-throughfacilities/conductvendordry-runs• Conductseveraldetailedtrainingsessions forvolunteers• SupportCollegeMarshaltrainings• Disseminatecertificatestocolleges• Deployinstructions/materialstoPlatformParty• Deployinstructions tocollegemarshals• FinalizeallVIPandPresidentialevents• ConductPresidentialbriefing

1weekprior• GradWeekevents• Assembleover5,000CalPolyProudbags

forgradsandfaculty• Finalizestadiumset-up• Deliverscriptstoallplatformpartymembers• Hostwalk-throughrehearsalinstadium

Logistics and Planning Time Line: 10,000 ft. view

OurCurrentProcessforAddressingChange

Addressing Change

Addressing Change

Improving the Student Experience

CommencementOfficealongwithCommencementOperationsandPolicyCommitteeshaveaddressedandsuccessfully resolvedseveralconcernsovertheyearsincluding:

• Overalldurationoftheceremony• Totalceremonylengthtrimmedto90min

• Ceremonytimingduetosun/heatoftheday• Movedmorningceremoniesto9am

• Ceremonystructure• Changedtoa3-cermonymodel

• ADACompliancy atallcommencementevents• Achievedfullcompliancyatall45events

• Signageandtrafficflowthroughoutcampus

• Createdataskforce,routedtrafficexclusivelyonHighland

• Durationofgraduateandfacultyprocessional• Trimmedgraduateandfacultyprocessionalto13minutes

• Accessibilityforguestswithamobilityimpairment• Increasedandre-routedshuttles,rented75wheelchairs

• Shortageofticketsdistributedpergraduates• Increasednumberofticketspergradfrom7to10

ADeeperLookataRecentIssuethatwassuccessfullyresolved:

InSpring2014,46%ofpost-commencementcollege/departmentceremonieswerenotADAcompliant(21outof45)

ADA Compliancy: a Recent Issue Resolved

OurProcesstowardResolution:•WorkedwithFacilitiesPlanningtodetermineallADAcompliantlocationsoncampus(July2014)

•Presented3well-developed scenariostotheDeans(Aug2014)

•UponrequestbytheDeans,presented3well-developedscenariostotheDeptHeadsandChairs(Sept2014)

•ConsultedwithCommencementPolicyCommittee(Oct2014)

•SupportfromCommencementOperationsCommittee(Sept2014– June2015)

Onceadecisionwasreached:•Held2OpenForumsforthecollegecoordinators(December2014)

•Providedadetailedchecklisttoallcollegecoordinators(January2015)

•All45College/Departmenteventswerefully ADA-compliant(June2015)

Enhancements, Innovations, Improvements

AdditionalPositiveChanges:

•Establishedtimelessbrand–MustangsForever

•Customizedcommencementmobileapp

•Livestreaming(YouTube)andclosedcaptioning

•Advancedticketscanningtechnology

•Interactivecustomizedmaponline

•Newandimprovedcommencementwebsite

•Enhancedsocialmediacampaign

•Handfansandwaterforallgrads,guests,andfaculty

•Implementedandincreasedstreamers eachyearfor‘BigFinish’!

•ImplementedCalPolyProudpinningceremony

•Incorporatedrecognitionofalumniguestsduringceremonies

•Commencementfairexpansion

ProposedChangeforSpring2016

Looking Ahead

Spring2016:NameReading

KeyIssueAddressedwithCollegeDeans:

OpportunityforImprovementwiththeCollegeandDepartmentEvents

• Surveyresponsesidentified frustrationwithcollege/departmenteventsandthelackoforganization.

• Theoverallpositiveratingforthecollege/departmenteventsdroppedfrom70%to65%thisyear.

• 54%ofgradsfeltcollege/departmentcommunicationwaspoor

• Parentsratedcollege/departmenteventspoorly

• AnecdotalfeedbackfromPresidentandothers

2014

2015

ResearchandDataCollectedtoAddressthisIssue:

•18ofthe23CSUcampusesconductnamereadingattheirmainuniversity-wideceremonies.

•TheCSUaverageceremonydurationis2hours,10minutes(includingnamereadingandprocessional).

•4CSUcampusesconductseparatedepartmentalceremonies(3ofthese4conductnamereadingattheirdepartmentevents).

•CalPolyprocessionaldurationhasdecreasedfrom40downto15 minutes.

•Eachgraduatenamewouldrequire3-5seconds(utilizingprofessional namereaders)

•“Namereading&walkingacrossthestage” listedasmostimportanttoincludeintheuniversity-wide ceremony(Graduatesurvey)


RecommendationfromPresident’sCabinet:(Afterconsultationwithvariousconstituentgroups,includingCollegeDeansandDepartmentHeads/Chairs)

•ThemainuniversityceremoniesinSpanosstadiumtoincludeindividual namereadingforeachgraduate

•Following eachuniversityceremony,collegesanddepartmentsmayhostreceptionsorevents

•Collegesanddepartmentsdeterminelevelofformalityandstructurefortheireventorreceptiono Formalstaging,A/V,seating,namereadingandeventticketingareoptionalandcouldbeeliminated(decreasedcostto

collegesanddepartments)

•Theuniversitywillcontinuetohost3maincommencementceremoniesinSpanos Stadiumo 2collegesrepresentedateach

•Themainuniversityceremonieswilllastapproximately2hourso Somehistoricalceremonyelementswillbeabbreviatedoreliminated

•Professionalnamereaderswillbeutilizedo Totaltimeaddedfornamereading=approximately1hour

•Stagingchangeswillaccommodatetwolinesforgraduatepathoftravel

•Commencementphotographyandfaculty/studentcongratulatoryexchangeswillbeconductedonthefield


Documents

CAL POLY COMMENCEMENT...•Consulted with Commencement Policy Committee (Oct 2014) •Support from Commencement Operations Committee (Sept 2014 –June 2015) Once a decision was reached: