Behind The Pomp and Circumstance, USM Commencement Team鈥檚 Diligent Planning, Hard Work Help Make Graduation Day Special
Thu, 05/30/2024 - 01:45pm | By: David Tisdale
USM Assistant Registrar Dana Berry assists graduates with seating instructions during commencement exercises at the university (submitted photo).
With Edward Alger鈥檚 customary 鈥淧omp and Circumstance March No. 1鈥� as the signal, another commencement is underway at The University of 51逗奶 Mississippi (USM). Introductions and speeches are made at the dais, diplomas are handed out; newly minted alums then turn their tassels and toss their mortarboards high in the air in celebration, following congratulations from USM President Dr. Joseph S. Paul.
Hugs and handshakes await the graduates from family, friends and fellow students who鈥檝e cheered them along on their journey to this moment; some linger on the coliseum floor briefly to soak in the moment and consider the future. And thus concludes another commencement, the culmination of a school鈥檚 preparation of its students for life.
While those in attendance marvel at the ceremony鈥檚 grandeur, they鈥檙e likely unaware of the mechanics involved in its arrangement 鈥� and it certainly doesn鈥檛 happen magically, as if from a twitch of Samantha Stephens鈥� nose in an episode of Bewitched. It鈥檚 the result of a yearlong preparation effort starting shortly after the final ceremony each fall and spring semester. And USM鈥檚 commencement planning team, composed of staff in the USM Office of the Registrar, are the worker bees who strive to leave no stone unturned in readying for this special day.
Dana Berry, assistant registrar for degree audits and commencement coordinator, and Nichol Green, associate registrar, manage this team and employ a game plan they鈥檝e modified over time based on experience and input from campus partners to produce a winning formula for successful, well-run graduation ceremonies.
鈥淭he planning process for commencement starts promptly upon the conclusion of the previous ceremony,鈥� Berry said in explaining the process. 鈥淢eetings are scheduled with different departments and individuals on campus throughout the semester to coordinate efforts and facilitate preparations for the upcoming ceremony.鈥�
Berry and Green have worked together in the Registrar鈥檚 Office and helped with commencement for most of the last decade. When she joined the Registrar's Office staff in 2015, Berry was primarily focused on coordinating the student aspects of commencement, which involved providing degree candidates with information on commencement participation and ordering of regalia throughout the semester.
In 2017, Berry鈥檚 role evolved to encompass the coordination of the entire event, including increased responsibility for student engagement, and overseeing event logistics. It was at this point she proactively adopted an early planning strategy for commencement, enabling her and her colleagues to effectively anticipate and address any necessary adjustments, modifications, cancellations, or unforeseen circumstances that may arise concerning graduation.
USM Associate Registrar Nichol Green helps a graduate adjust her shoes prior to the start of a commencement ceremony at Reed Green Coliseum on the university鈥檚 Hattiesburg campus (submitted photo).
Green has been with the Registrar鈥檚 Office since 2014. She concurs with Berry that getting ahead of the game by coordinating the next commencement as early as possibly helps eliminate errors and other headaches. She also believes it鈥檚 important to listen to feedback and be willing to adjust for future ceremonies. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always room for improvement,鈥� she said.
As overall commencement coordinator, Berry鈥檚 focus is on the entire semester with a checklist that includes:
- Supplying commencement information to degree candidates throughout the semester such as commencement participation, regalia ordering, transcript ordering and diploma distribution.
- Degree candidate seating reservations and floor charts for all ceremonies
- Commencement program content, printing, and ordering
- Maintenance and updates to the university鈥檚 commencement website
- Coordination of commencement volunteers to assist Green and other Office of the Registrar staff with commencement week plan executions.
Green鈥檚 primary focus involves direct preparations at Reed Green Coliseum on the Hattiesburg campus the week of the ceremonies, which in the fall includes one for graduate students on a Thursday evening and two for undergraduates on Friday. Only in the spring is the additional ceremony for USM Gulf Coast graduates held.
Green鈥檚 tasks for the Hattiesburg graduations include:
- Executing coliseum set-up, including the stage, backdrops, floor covers and signage, among other needs.
- Setting up graduate chairs prior to ceremonies using pre-planned floor charts that Berry has produced based on seating reservations.
- Script cards for college deans and ceremonial readers
- Coordination with the photography vendor
Berry says planning is different for the ceremony held at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi because of a different set of facility logistics. She collaborates regularly with Robin Johnson, director of Student Services and assistant registrar at the USM Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach, to ensure consistency in services provided to degree candidates and execution of the Gulf Coast event.
鈥淲e鈥檙e required to adhere to their (Mississippi Coast Coliseum) policies and resources, which has its own dedicated staff and facilities,鈥� Berry explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our responsibility to ensure the ceremony runs smoothly and is presented in a manner consistent with the standards set in Hattiesburg.鈥�
What Berry, Green and their staff and volunteers do to produce a successful graduation is mostly out of sight and mind.
鈥淲e reset the floor for every ceremony, and the events are customized to accommodate the exact number of graduates with reserved seating, resulting in changes to the floor plan for each ceremony,鈥� Green said. 鈥淭his is why we place such an emphasis on the recessional and dismissal of graduates from the Coliseum floor, as it is necessary to prepare for the subsequent ceremony. We do a floor set three times in less than 24 hours.鈥�
As graduation approaches, any requests to modify, change, or add details can potentially present difficulties for accommodation. 鈥淥ur staff, in collaboration with other coordinating offices, have diligently prepared throughout the semester to ensure a seamless event,鈥� Berry noted. 鈥淭herefore, last-minute changes or additions can be challenging. However, we鈥檝e proven we can effectively navigate those and still maintain productivity.鈥�
While the planning for commencement is meticulous and time consuming as Berry and Green also juggle their regular duties with the office, both embrace their role in what is arguably the most important event in the life of a university.
鈥淐ommencement season is my favorite time of year, and I love that it breaks up the routine of the office and gives us an opportunity to work with people we don鈥檛 interact with on a typical workday,鈥� Green said. 鈥淲e spend the week of commencement in the (Reed Green) coliseum preparing for ceremonies, so it鈥檚 nice to be in a different setting and build relationships with other university colleagues.鈥�
Berry says she鈥檚 grateful to the USM faculty and staff 鈥渨ho show their love and appreciation for the university鈥� volunteering to help with commencement.
鈥淓ach semester, I ask members of our campus community to volunteer to support the Registrar staff in preparing for commencement ceremonies in Reed Green and [with pre-event preparation next door] in the Payne Center,鈥� Berry explained. 鈥淚鈥檝e noticed a growing interest in volunteerism each semester and am pleased to see many returning volunteers. This dedicated support not only brings me joy but also contributes to a more efficient work environment.鈥�
Berry praised the staff of several departments and units on campus who assist with commencement, including the Physical Plant; iTech; Department of Athletics Video Services; University Police; Parking Management; the Graduate School; Aramark; the Image Center; University Communications; 51逗奶 Style; and the Payne Center. Individuals Berry cites as deserving of a 鈥済old star鈥� for their help include Dr. Laurie Benvenutti-Sutphin and Dr. Naomi Clement, in the Office of 51逗奶; Kentrice Easley in the Graduate School; and Marlissa Northrop in the Office of the Provost.
鈥淎nd I seriously would not survive the week without our commencement volunteers,鈥� Berry continued. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e truly wonderful people with hearts of gold who play a vital role in supporting me and achieving our goals. This work does, indeed, take a village.鈥�
Dr. Andy Wiest, University Distinguished Professor of History and a previous USM commencement speaker, recognizes the ceremonies are both 鈥渁 physically huge event and an incredibly meaningful event for the graduates and their families.鈥�
鈥淎ll this means that commencement is doubly hard to manage and plan for,鈥� Dr. Wiest continued. 鈥淚鈥檝e been to a zillion commencements here at 51逗奶 Miss, and the staff in our Registrar鈥檚 Office has always made them run incredibly smoothly. Everything just magically seems to come off without a hitch every time, which I know takes lots of planning to make it all seem so effortless.鈥�
Members of the USM Registrar Office鈥檚 commencement planning team include, from left: Precia Pedersen, administrative assistant; Phoebe Magee, degree auditor; Nichol Green, associate registrar; Dana Berry, assistant registrar for degree audits and commencement; April Jordan, business analyst; Morgan Green, supervisor of records; Lemuel Boyer, assistant registrar for technical services; Erin Little, supervisor of degree audits; and Greg Pierce, university registrar (submitted photo).
USM鈥檚 commencement team also stands ready and willing to help any ceremony participant with last-minute needs, including on the day of the event. Case in point: during the spring 2021graduation exercises, Green stopped to help a graduate adjust her shoes, as her commencement gown was impeding her reach.
鈥淲e still reminisce and laugh about that,鈥� Green said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 count the number of times Dana and I have put a nervous graduate at ease by simply taking time to assist them on their special day.鈥�
University Registrar Greg Pierce said the dedication and hard work put in by Berry, Green, and others on the commencement planning team, along with volunteers, 鈥渆nsures a seamless and memorable ceremony for all involved.鈥�
鈥淏ecause the event goes so smoothly, most people are unaware it requires months of preparation and coordination for everything to come together,鈥� Pierce continued. 鈥淯ltimately, the goal is always to provide a great experience for the students and their families, and that would be nearly impossible to achieve without the meticulous attention to detail put in by them during the months leading up to graduation.
鈥淭hey just do a tremendous job of making it a great event.鈥�
鈥淭he work of the staff in the Registrar鈥檚 Office is critical to ensuring that commencement goes smoothly, and their outstanding teamwork makes these events memorable every year for our graduates and their loved ones,鈥� Dr. Motter said.
For Berry and her crew, commencement week is filled with numerous tasks, physical exertion, extended work hours, skipped meals and limited time with loved ones. But the fruits of their labor make it all worthwhile.
鈥淎fter wrapping up the last one, we鈥檙e all relieved to finally rest our feet after days of continuous standing and walking,鈥� Berry said. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 also a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction with a job well done.鈥�