This year, campus prepared for not one, but two Commencements, which could not be accomplished overnight. For the Office of the Registrar’s 23 staff members, planning began in January.
“While all members of the (registrar’s) team are involved in Commencement, there is a planning group of five folks who start in January with logistics,” Chuck Hurley, University registrar, said in “A conversation with” article for NDWorks.
“As we moved deeper into the spring, other staff members played a larger role. These duties are handled along with our existing responsibilities managing registration, transcripts, course scheduling and academic records,” he said.
By mid-April, the office diligently printed the diplomas for the 2022 Commencement, carefully secured them in diploma folders and placed them in boxes so they could be transported to the ceremony in exactly the correct order. Notre Dame is one of only a few institutions to give students their actual diplomas at Commencement. At many universities, graduates receive an empty folder and receive the diploma later.
A Commencement Ceremony for the class of 2020 will be held this Sunday, May 29. Due to the pandemic, a virtual commencement ceremony was held in May 2020 and those graduates received their diplomas in the mail soon afterward.
As the team prepares for this weekend’s celebrations, Hurley expressed gratitude for his coworkers: “Our team takes a great deal of pride in putting on a wonderful Commencement Ceremony for our students and families. The dedication of our staff is nearly boundless.”
Registrar’s office makes hosting two commencements look easy
