Members of University community collaborate to execute successful commencement ceremonies

May 26, 2021

Twice a year, thousands of Georgia Southern students join the University’s Alumni Association following commencement ceremonies in May and December. The events are a celebratory time for graduates and the University community alike, but the ceremonies don’t come to fruition without dedicated members of Eagle Nation behind the scenes.

Leaders across the University come together as part of the Commencement Work Group (CWG), a committee of 40 faculty and staff members who iron out every detail of the ceremonial events. The work group formed in fall 2019 and has planned in-person commencement ceremonies for three semesters. 

“The CWG took what was a very difficult and challenging situation and turned it into a tremendous success that showed how an institution with three campuses can exceed community expectations,” said Amy Ballagh, Ed.D., CWG co-chair and associate vice president for enrollment management. “The work of this group is a great example of cross-divisional collaboration. This group produced fall 2020 and spring 2021 commencement ceremonies that addressed all of the concerns of the University community and was, by all accounts, very successful.” 

The CWG focused on three University Strategic Pillars: Student Success, Academic Excellence, and Operational Efficiency, Effectiveness and Sustainability; and on two Institutional Values: Discovery and Innovation and Collaboration. In many instances, the assigned responsibilities for commencement fell outside of the scope of the team member’s regular job duties, but each member of the team recognized their importance and was enthusiastic about their work. 

“Witnessing the extensive collaborative teamwork by individuals from across multiple campuses who came together for one purpose — giving the graduates and guests the best possible experience — was the most rewarding part of the process,” said Diane Badakhsh, Ed.D., co-chair of the CWG and director of the Division of Continuing Education.

America Minc, co-leader of the Guest Services Work Team and director of facilities and fitness at the Recreation Activity Center on the Statesboro Campus, was also inspired by the cooperative experience. 

“Being part of a team that encompassed almost every facet of the University to come together and produce an event that our students and their guests will remember forever was extremely rewarding,” Minc said. “In addition, we worked with colleagues across campus that we may not have ever had the opportunity to meet or collaborate with, thus expanding our networks and understanding of how we all contribute to the greater good here.” 

Planning the large-scale events didn’t come without its share of challenges. 

“The larger work team was charged with reframing commencement from top to bottom with a solid focus on creating a seamless and positive guest experience,” said Ava Edwards, director of Alumni Relations and co-leader of the Guest Services Work Team. “One of the biggest internal challenges we faced was the change in how things were going to be done differently for the 2020-2021 academic year and the flow of communication between all parties. Externally, our biggest challenge was trying to communicate with our guests and educating them before they arrived at the ceremonies so that everyone was set up for success.”

The enthusiasm of all work group members made the challenges much easier, explained Ballagh. 

“It was a large group, so my biggest challenge was leading that many people,” Ballagh said. “That being said, everyone was ready to work. We had a lot of good ideas that everyone brought to the table, which made it easier than you would expect.”

Members of the CWG were resourceful in finding solutions to enhance the ceremonies by consulting with campus groups who hadn’t previously been as involved with the planning process. 

“The part that I loved about this team was that we brought together people from every part of the University to develop and enhance the experience of commencement,” she said. “It was a chance to highlight staff who might not be as involved in commencement otherwise and really showcase their talents. For instance, we took customer service experts such as America Minc and Ava Edwards and brought their skills to the table for the Guest Services Work Team. Another key example is including Athletics staff such as David Cutler, Larry Mays and Nick Scull. Normally Athletics isn’t as involved in commencement, but we brought their crowd-managing skills and ticketing skills to the event. IT Services was able to use the ticketing system already in place for games and reuse it for commencement in an innovative way for students and their families.”

The CWG is already hard at work planning the fall 2021 commencement ceremonies.

“Most importantly, the group worked in a spirit of continuous improvement and cooperation to help shape the experience of graduating students for years to come,” Ballagh said. “The Commencement Work Group has demonstrated the dedication and work ethic that is Georgia Southern University.”