Behind The Pomp and Circumstance, USM Commencement Team’s 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’s customary “Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1” as the signal, another commencement is underway at The University of Southern 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’ve 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’s preparation of its students for life.
While those in attendance marvel at the ceremony’s grandeur, they’re likely unaware of the mechanics involved in its arrangement – and it certainly doesn’t happen magically, as if from a twitch of Samantha Stephens’ nose in an episode of Bewitched. It’s the result of a yearlong preparation effort starting shortly after the final ceremony each fall and spring semester. And USM’s 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’ve modified over time based on experience and input from campus partners to produce a winning formula for successful, well-run graduation ceremonies.
“The planning process for commencement starts promptly upon the conclusion of the previous ceremony,” Berry said in explaining the process. “Meetings are scheduled with different departments and individuals on campus throughout the semester to coordinate efforts and facilitate preparations for the upcoming ceremony.”
Berry and Green have worked together in the Registrar’s 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’s 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’s Hattiesburg campus (submitted photo).
Green has been with the Registrar’s 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’s important to listen to feedback and be willing to adjust for future ceremonies. “There’s always room for improvement,” she said.
As overall commencement coordinator, Berry’s 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’s commencement website
- Coordination of commencement volunteers to assist Green and other Office of the Registrar staff with commencement week plan executions.
Green’s 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’s 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.
“We’re required to adhere to their (Mississippi Coast Coliseum) policies and resources, which has its own dedicated staff and facilities,” Berry explained. “It’s our responsibility to ensure the ceremony runs smoothly and is presented in a manner consistent with the standards set in Hattiesburg.”
What Berry, Green and their staff and volunteers do to produce a successful graduation is mostly out of sight and mind.
“We 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,” Green said. “This 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.”
As graduation approaches, any requests to modify, change, or add details can potentially present difficulties for accommodation. “Our staff, in collaboration with other coordinating offices, have diligently prepared throughout the semester to ensure a seamless event,” Berry noted. “Therefore, last-minute changes or additions can be challenging. However, we’ve proven we can effectively navigate those and still maintain productivity.”
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.
“Commencement 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’t interact with on a typical workday,” Green said. “We spend the week of commencement in the (Reed Green) coliseum preparing for ceremonies, so it’s nice to be in a different setting and build relationships with other university colleagues.”
Berry says she’s grateful to the USM faculty and staff “who show their love and appreciation for the university” volunteering to help with commencement.
“Each 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,” Berry explained. “I’ve 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.”
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; Southern Style; and the Payne Center. Individuals Berry cites as deserving of a “gold star” for their help include Dr. Laurie Benvenutti-Sutphin and Dr. Naomi Clement, in the Office of Admissions; Kentrice Easley in the Graduate School; and Marlissa Northrop in the Office of the Provost.
“And I seriously would not survive the week without our commencement volunteers,” Berry continued. “They’re 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.”
Dr. Andy Wiest, University Distinguished Professor of History and a previous USM commencement speaker, recognizes the ceremonies are both “a physically huge event and an incredibly meaningful event for the graduates and their families.”
“All this means that commencement is doubly hard to manage and plan for,” Dr. Wiest continued. “I’ve been to a zillion commencements here at Southern Miss, and the staff in our Registrar’s 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.”
Members of the USM Registrar Office’s 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’s 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.
“We still reminisce and laugh about that,” Green said. “I can’t 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.”
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, “ensures a seamless and memorable ceremony for all involved.”
“Because the event goes so smoothly, most people are unaware it requires months of preparation and coordination for everything to come together,” Pierce continued. “Ultimately, 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.
“They just do a tremendous job of making it a great event.”
“The work of the staff in the Registrar’s 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,” 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.
“After wrapping up the last one, we’re all relieved to finally rest our feet after days of continuous standing and walking,” Berry said. “But there’s also a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction with a job well done.”