Autumn Graduation is over for another year, and what a great event it was. While it’s certainly a special day for our graduates and their whānau, it’s also a big day for staff. Some staff have attended many of these ceremonies, while for others it was a new experience, either as a guest on-stage or as a volunteer.
You can read Glenn Mckay’s account of Graduation in his introduction for the Pou Tukutuku newsletter on 15 April.
Staff Volunteers at Graduation: Back row: Paul Hays, Kirsten Petersen, Alisha Tsai, Cathy Tyler, Jody Bennett, Ciarin Smith, Melinda Jenkins, Gia Ngatai-Smith, Peter Rees, Taj Schaafhausen, Sandra Potier, Elizabeth Morris, Marion Blundell, Sharlotte Walters, James de Clifford, Kimberley Loeffen, Ruth Marsters. Front row: Lani Mikaio, Rolani Moasegi, Rowena Fuluifaga, Susan Eady
What goes on behind the scenes to pull Graduation together?
Sana Saleem (Library Knowledge Specialist), Miracle Moasegi (Customer Services – Ask Me Desk), Tokasi Iupeli (Unitec Student Council – Pacific Rep), Lani Mikaio (Pacific Centre).
A team starts planning the next graduation event as soon as the previous one is complete! This involves, for example, the event logistics of organising venues, speakers, ticketing, catering, and the academic side of communicating with students, ensuring eligibility and organising certificates.
The newly-formed Student Events and Communications team took over the organisation this year, and all event logistics were brought in-house where previously an external event provider had assisted.
On event day, over 100 people help ‘behind the scenes’ to make it a seamless experience for our graduates, from their arrival at Aotea Square to the completion of the ceremony, where they share food and drinks with their families and Unitec staff. In a significant change this year that helped with the smooth running of the ceremonies, our academic staff were in position on stage prior to the ceremony beginning, where previously they’d walked onto stage after the graduands entered.
The Haka Pohiri, introduced by Taurima Marae, Jessica Aranui last year and performed by the Mātātupu (Unitec Māori Student Association) alongside our staff, was included again this year, adding a beautiful and uniquely Unitec welcome to the start of each ceremony.
A snapshot of Autumn Graduation 2019 by numbers
Graduates and their Lecturers from Environmental and Animal Sciences.
Number of staff in the organising team?
5
Ruth Marsters, Sharlotte Walters and Melinda Jenkins (Student Success); Paul Hays (Communications and Events); Barbara Jacomb (Graduation and Enrolment)
How many Unitec staff members volunteered on the day?
88
This was record number of volunteers! We also had many staff up on stage cheering on our graduates.
How long is the day for the graduation team and volunteers?
12 hours
Staff leave Mt Albert campus in buses at 8am and return around 8pm. But there are plenty of breaks and lovely food supplied throughout the day.
How many graduates attended on 10 April?
1,328
…of 2443 students eligible to graduate.
How many guests attend each ceremony?
1,700
The Aotea Centre was at full capacity for our third ceremony, for the graduates of Environmental and Animal Sciences, Community Development, and Healthcare and Social practice. Other ceremonies were close to this number.
How many different jobs are done by staff volunteers on the day?
5
These roles are crucial to the running of the day: guiding graduands and families into and around Aotea Centre, marshalling graduands into the correct order, guiding the lines of graduands into the ceremony, assisting academic staff backstage and on-stage, and looking after performers and special guests. There are plenty of other unofficial jobs that staff find themselves doing, including fixing regalia, calming stressed graduands and taking photos of smiling families.
What a great team -Well done!