University of Florida Graduates Thousands: Coordinating One of the Biggest Graduation Events in the US

University of Florida ranks among America’s largest post-secondary institutions. To give you an idea of its size, previous universities I wrote about, such as Southern Methodist University and University of Miami, have student populations around 16,000, while UF’s is over 50,000! Donna Stricker, UF’s Commencement Coordinator, reveals how she has not only overseen the successful completion of various ceremonies, but has also managed to keep them all under ninety minutes long, as she is constantly mindful of the family members and friends who attend.

In With the Old and In With the New: How University of Miami Keeps Commencement Fresh

When coordinating graduation, every school works to tie in its own unique traditions. While University of Miami is no different in this regard, as an eighty-five-year-old school (a youth by university standards), UM works not only to infuse its ceremonies with a sense of history but also to invigorate them with a new and creative ending every year! Allison Gillespie, who oversees and executes all university commencement exercises, gave me the inside scoop on what makes University of Miami’s commencement ceremonies so special.