Students' Choice: Expanding Participation in Convocation

Convocation, defined by Merriam-Webster as “a ceremonial assembly of members of a college or university,” is an event that formally welcomes the incoming class to MSU each year. Each convocation speaker and corresponding book represents a message from the university to its students, and, of course, the selection of a Convocation speaker is a high honor from the university. Despite the importance attached to the assembly, MSU students have almost no input on Convocation speakers.

So how are convocation books and speakers selected? According to Julia Tietz, Administrative Manager and Assistant to the Dean in the College of Education, Health and Human Development, the process begins “early in the year” with a large Convocation Committee. This committee is chaired by the Senior Vice Provost, David Singel, and has representatives from dozens of different organizations on campus, including each of the individual colleges on campus and ASMSU. 

This committee gathers together with a variety of suggestions for convocation speakers and books. Tietz said that the books selected by the committee are meant to be “impactful, relevant and thoughtful” with a “current affairs theme.” Once a long list of potential speakers is developed, that list is turned over to a second committee, which is made up of Convocation stakeholders such as the MSU Library, Leadership Institute, freshman seminar instructors and the Honors College. These representatives debate the list and whittle it down to three or four authors. 

Tietz reported this list, along with arguments for and against each author, is passed along to MSU President Waded Cruzado, who makes the final selection for the convocation speaker and book. Typically, both a first and second choice are made for Convocation speakers. Tietz then contacts the speaker’s agency to determine interest and availability, then finalizes a contract and brings them to campus. 

An article from this year,“Montana State moves upcoming convocation outside to stadium” by the MSU News Service, explains the intent of convocation as “demonstrat[ing] the support of the university and community to help students reach the goal of becoming the graduating class of 2024.” If convocation is an expression of support for students, then students should be part of the speaker selection process. 

The top-down way that convocation speakers are currently selected completely excludes student participation. The only chance for students to contribute their perspective to the Convocation selection is through their elected representatives in ASMSU, who are exclusively included in the first committee’s suggestions. At all other junctions, choices are made by MSU organizations without the input of students.

MSU should completely alter the way that it picks Convocation speakers to align more with student interests and experiences. An article from University Business magazine titled “Selecting commencement speakers: An art or a science?”illuminates the process by which Dillard University in New York chooses commencement speakers, where graduating students submit a list of ten nominations. At Manhattanville College in New York, the Student Government Association works with the school administration to create a list of potential graduation speakers. That list is then sent to all graduating seniors, who then vote on their preferred speaker. Applying either of these methods, or a combination of the two, to Convocation speaker selection at MSU by allowing the student body to vote would greatly increase student engagement and inclusion. 

MSU cannot claim that Convocation is intended to support and honor its students if it actively restricts their autonomy and participation in selecting Convocation speakers and books. It does not represent the interests or needs of the student body but rather those of MSU organizations and administrators. To this end, MSU should allow students to nominate and vote on Convocation speakers and books to truly connect the students with the ceremony meant to honor them.