You are the Human Resources Manager for Transparency University, a private not-for-profit [501(c)(3)]
university located in Crockett, Texas that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. The university
has an enrollment of 7000 students and employs more than 600 people in faculty, administrative, and
staff position. You report directly to the President and are a member of the Executive Committee.
Other members of that Committee include the Provost and VP of Academic Affairs, the VP of Finance
and Administration, the VP of Information Technology, and the VP of Student Services. Among the areas
reporting to the VP of Student Services are Student, Recruitment, Admissions, Student Records, Student
Activities, Advising, and Student Events.
Each year, the University holds two commencement events, one at the end of each long semester.
These events are held on the weekend at a time that the university is normally closed. Only students
who have been certified to graduate at that term are allowed to participate in the commencement
event, and at the completion of the event the students are able to pick up their diplomas in an adjacent
room, provided that they have completed all requirements for graduation and been certified to
graduate. Transparency U. takes pride in distributing the diplomas after graduation as most universities
complete the certification for graduation several weeks after the close of the semester and
commencement. While participation by graduating students in commencement is optional, TU has an
unusually high participation rate, principally because the students are able to get their diplomas
immediately after commencement.
Even though it is held on campus, commencement is an expensive event because it requires a significant
number of people to perform various tasks the day of commencement. These tasks include:
Checking in students/prospective graduates who are participating in the event
Lining up students/prospective graduates up for the procession
Assisting faculty and administrators with their academic gowns including assisting with donning
it and straightening the hoods
Assisting students/prospective graduates with their academic gowns
Serving as ushers assisting attendees in find seats
Serving as greeters/information resources for attendees
Providing security at the event in the main event hall as well as in the faculty/administration
and student assembly rooms
Assisting disabled guests in reaching appropriate seating
Taking tickets at the entrances to the event
Distributing diplomas after graduation including verifying identities through documents
provided by students/graduates and in the student records database.
Serving as hosts/hostesses at the celebration open house immediately following
commencement.
Traditionally these roles have been filled by university employees and assignments were made based on
the job responsibility of the employee as related to the tasks needed to be performed. For example,
members of the university police department have been assigned for security and persons working in
the Student Records Office have been assigned to diploma distribution. Volunteers are solicited to
participate and those volunteering are compensated with an honorarium of $200.00 by the university in
appreciation of their efforts.
Like many universities, TU has been faced with a decrease in available funds to operate over the last
several years and is scrambling to find ways to cut its budget. The President has recently attended a
meeting of university presidents from around the nation and in casual conversations with other
presidents has discovered that many universities use volunteers to support commencement. Typically
these volunteers are provided with a special commencement T-Shirt and a free breakfast or lunch prior
to the event.
The President sees an opportunity to cut the budget by adopting the same policy as he heard about at
the meeting and eliminating the honorarium. He recognizes that there are issues related to employee
morale by making this change and has advised you those will be considered at a later date. For now, he
is asking you to review the current practices of TU with respect to staffing commencements and
changing to an all uncompensated volunteer system.
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