While these days of college life during Corona are challenging for most students, they are perhaps the most disappointing for those who are graduating this year. Between the two of us – teaching professors, we have attended over 40 commencement ceremonies. These experiences have provided us with an extraordinary amount of time to think about how the commencement ceremony could be improved. Fact is, faculty are ceremonial icing on the cake on commencement days. The students are the cake! We dress up in our regalia, march in on cue, watch the ceremony, and walk out on cue. The best part for us are the moments afterward when we have an opportunity to congratulate our students, meet their families, and smile for the smartphones.

As we write this, we are aware that colleges are cancelling commencement ceremonies in response to government orders limiting persons gathering in large groups. Right now, their decisions are sound. While it is not possible to predict what will occur as we go forward, it is likely that the traditional ceremonies which were being planned, will not occur. How colleges address this remains to be discovered. It is possible that some type of gathering via technology will occur, or that a graduate may be able to physically walk in a ceremony at a future date.

Because this has never occurred in our lifetimes, this is an opportunity to discover a better way to celebrate your graduates’ accomplishments. In the age of Corona, this falls to the family. The traditional college commencement ceremony is designed for a large group of students and their families. While it is steeped in tradition, most who attend are there for only one moment, the reading of your student’s name. The following is designed to help you to plan your own commencement ceremony, one that is personal and customized for your student.

Traditional vs. Personal 

Traditional: A date is set for your student to “Walk” in their commencement ceremony. Tickets are distributed and guests plan to attend. The date set by the college is something they have always done. It is set after the last day of instruction at the end of the academic year. In 2020, those dates fall during the days of Corona. All public gatherings during this time are cancelled and being rescheduled.

Personal: When the danger of Corona has passed, schedule your student’s commencement on a date which works for your family. Invite everyone you want to attend. While a virtual or ZOOM commencement ceremony may be possible, we recommend keeping it live and in person in the same way that their traditional big day would have been.

Traditional: The college prepares for commencement day by arranging for a venue, facilitating caps and gowns for students and faculty, and they select a few people to speak to a large audience. (Most of whom are usually not that good and speak mostly about themselves instead of to the students.)

Personal: Prepare a place in your home or yard, pre-order a cap and gown (Google it), don’t worry about it being the correct color or any other details. Select key family members and friends who know the graduate and can speak specifically about them. 

Traditional: On the day of the commencement, a table is set up with nice folders containing, essentially, a “We Owe You”, an official graduation certificate. Professional photographers are hired and musicians are rehearsed and ready to play.

Personal: Create your own folder and certificate of graduation. (The real one comes in the mail about a month after the graduation date anyways.) Designate a few family members to take pictures. After all, most everyone has a 4K quality camera in their smartphones these days. Google search for: “Pomp and Circumstance mp3” You’ll get about 160,000 results, select one, if you want to hear the traditional music. Alternatively, select some music which will have special meaning to your student. Music is very important. Select the right music and everyone will be moved.

Traditional: At the time of the ceremony, attendees arrive, receive a program and take their seats. Administrators, keynote speakers, and faculty march in and take their seats. Graduates walk in and take their seats. The ceremony progresses with a welcome, speeches, and the presentation of the degrees.

Personal: You’ve got this! Follow this order or create your own. You can even designate specific attendees to represent administrators and  the faculty.

Traditional: After the ceremony everyone heads for home to celebrate with a special meal.

Personal: You are already home! Celebrate with a special meal and give your graduate wonderful gifts!

Additional suggestions:

1. Write to your student’s favorite professor and influential teachers during their K-12 years; ask them to write something to be read at your commencement.
2. Search the Internet for truly amazing and inspirational commencement speeches and play one during the ceremony. 
3. Create a slide show or movie of your graduate’s life history and play it during the ceremony. 
4. Buy your student a very special outfit for the occasion. 
5. Have Mom and Dad present the certificate to the graduate.
6. Be creative, make your own traditions!

Professor David C. Pecoraro, M.F.A. – Co-Founder, The Student Caring Project
Dr. Shannon Hervey, Ph.D. – Lecturer, Stanford University, Program in Writing and Rhetoric