Graduate Commencement

Lewis & Clark Graduate School will solicit nominations from the graduate school community for the student commencement speaker. Degree-eligible students may self-nominate or they may be nominated by their peers or by graduate school faculty or staff.

Once nominated, the student provides a draft of their 3-minute commencement speech reflecting the graduate school’s vision and mission. A reading committee representative of the graduate school community will select finalists to move forward in the process.

Finalists will present their draft speech before a panel composed of representatives from the graduate school community (3-minutes in length). Following presentations, the panel will select a speaker based on the following three criteria:

• Recognized as an outstanding student, both in the classroom and in the larger community.
• Exemplary representative of the graduate student body.
• Excellent speaking ability with well-thought-out speech which encompasses both the education and the counseling programs from which graduates will be represented.

Timeline:

• Nominations due by Friday, January 25, 2019.
  
• During the week of January 28th, nominees will be contacted by the commencement coordinator with details on submitting drafts of their three-minute speeches (due Friday, February 8, 2019).
  
• Finalists selected and contacted during week of February 18, 2019, to schedule readings with selection committee. (The readings will occur the morning of Wednesday, February 27, 2019.)
  
• Once selected, the student speaker will work with Associate Dean Janet Bixby on developing the final draft of the 3-minute speech.
• The student speaker will join with the platform party (including President Wiewel, Dean Fletcher, and Associate Dean Bixby) on commencement Sunday (June 2, 2019).