The University of Iowa

Coordinator Resources

The information on this page is intended for University of Iowa staff members coordinating collegiate commencement ceremonies.

Timelines | Reports | Templates | Livestream Captioning 

Fall 2023 Timelines

The following timelines are intended for collegiate commencement coordinators.

Date Time Action/Process  Deadline type
Oct. 28   Faculty regalia order deadline Regalia
Nov. 10 8 a.m. Degree applicant names pulled from MAUI for program Program
Nov. 12 11:59 p.m RSVP close Academic Calendar
Nov. 13 to 15 11:59 p.m. RSVP extension  Academic Calendar
Nov. 16 8 a.m. Special population workflow close date Workflow
Nov. 16  10 a.m. Special population data provided to colleges Commencement Team
Nov. 20 noon Graduate lists due to registrar’s office Collegiate Deadline
Nov. 20 to 28   Commencement team reviews college data and prepares for submission to Marching Order  
Nov. 28 1 p.m. Files due to Marching Order Marching Order Deadline
Nov. 29   Scripts due to Commencement Team  
Dec. 3 11:59 p.m. Student slide photo deadline Academic Calendar
Dec. 5 11:59 p.m. Deadline to approve all slide photos Collegiate Deadline
Dec. 6   Slide photos published Academic Calendar
Dec. 7   Name cards delivered to Commencement Team Marching Order Deadline
Dec. 7 to 13   Name cards delivered to colleges Commencement Team

Please Note: All information related to livestreams and closed captions should be delivered to the Office of Strategic Communication at least two weeks prior to the ceremony. Detailed information can be found below.

Anticipated Send Date Audience Content Public Archive
Sept. 7 Commencement Coordinators RSVP Info/Meeting Reminder/Subscription List Commencement RSVP Dates, Kick-Off Meeting, and More
Sept. 8 Summer and Fall 2023 Degree Applicants with no RSVP Response RSVP Opening Date/Helpful Resources/Deadlines/Reminders/Restrictions+Program Fall 2023 Commencement RSVP is Now Open
Sept. 11 Fall 2023 Subscription List Members  RSVP Opening Date/Helpful Resources/Deadlines/Reminders Fall 2023 Commencement RSVP is Now Open
Sept. 21 Advisors with Fall 2023 Degree Applicants with no RSVP Response About RSVP/How to RSVP Encourage Your Advisees to RSVP for Commencement
Oct. 4 Summer and Fall 2023 Degree Applicants with no RSVP Response RSVP Reminder #1/Helpful Resources Fall 2023 Commencement RSVP Reminder
Oct. 9 Fall 2023 RSVP "Yes" Respondents  Apparel Information/Livestream Information /RSVP Reminder/Helpful Resources Commencement Apparel is Now Available to Order
Oct. 9 Fall 2023 Subscription List Members  RSVP Reminder #1/Helpful Resources Fall 2023 Commencement RSVP Reminder
Oct. 11 Advisors with Fall 2023 Degree Applicants with no RSVP Response RSVP Reminder Encourage Your Advisees to RSVP for Commencement
Oct. 24 Summer and Fall 2023 Degree Applicants with no RSVP Response RSVP Reminder #2/Helpful Resources Fall 2023 Commencement RSVP Reminder
Oct. 26 Fall 2023 Subscription List Members  RSVP Reminder #2/Helpful Resources Fall 2023 Commencement RSVP Reminder
Nov. 8 Summer and Fall 2023 Degree Applicants with no RSVP Response Final RSVP Reminder/Helpful Resources  
Nov. 9 Fall 2023 Subscription List Members  Final RSVP Reminder/Helpful Resources  
Nov. 13 Summer and Fall 2023 Degree Applicants with no RSVP Response RSVP Extension   
Nov. 14 Fall 2023 Subscription List Members  RSVP Extension   
Nov. 28 Fall 2023 RSVP "Yes" Respondents  Ceremony Info  
Nov. 30 Fall 2023 Subscription List Members  Ceremony Info  
Dec. 11 Fall 2023 Non-CLAS RSVP "Yes" Respondents Ceremony Checklist  
Dec. 11 Fall 2023 CLAS RSVP "Yes" Respondents Ceremony Checklist  
Dec. 12 Fall 2023 Subscription List Members  Ceremony Checklist  

MAUI Commencement Attendance Management

Detailed information and instructions for collegiate commencement coordinators working in MAUI can be found on the MAUI Help Site

 

Power BI Commencement Report

Read only and exportable BI report with all data fields.

RSVP Add Instructions

Instructions for adding RSVPs in MAUI.

MAUI Slide Photo Report

Report used to approve student slide photos.

 

Order of Event Templates

The UI Commencement Team has partnered with the Office of Strategic Communications to develop a set of standardized Order of Event templates. Use of these templates is highly encouraged to present a unified brand experience across all ceremonies.

 

Livestreams and Closed Captioning

All videos or livestreams produced or shared by the university that are intended for public viewing are required to have closed captioning per the IT Accessibility Policy. Computer-generated auto captions do not meet this standard.

Captions display a text version of the speech and nonspeech audio information within the media player to help individuals understand the content if listening is not an option for them.

Live captioning for events

University of Iowa commencement ceremonies are streamed online in real-time, requiring the rapid and accurate live coding of captions by a human operator.

Due to the rapid pace of speech, captioners utilize a specialized keyboard called a stenograph to enable phonetic typing and significantly increase their typing speed. However, this approach relies on digital shorthand and greatly benefits from prior preparation.

Ensuring caption accuracy for commencement

Commencement ceremonies encompass a significant amount of specialized language. While there might be a common vernacular shared across all commencements, the College of Medicine, for instance, may employ a distinct vocabulary compared with the College of Business. Terms such as personal names, building names, course titles, and notable accomplishments will vary according to each specific ceremony.

The most accurate captioning of these terms is achieved by providing as many of them as possible to the transcriptionist ahead of the event. This allows them to incorporate the terms into their digital shorthand system prior to the event.

To assist with this process, the Office of Strategic Communication must receive the following information from each college at least two weeks prior to the ceremony:

  • Event program/order of events, including the complete list of speakers.
  • Any drafts of prepared remarks, even if they consist of just keywords or outlines.

Important note:

We understand that not all speakers write out their remarks verbatim; many speak spontaneously and off the cuff. Transcriptionists are highly skilled at keeping up with such conversations. There is no expectation that any scripts provided will be strictly adhered to; changes or updates might occur. However, achieving the optimal speed and accuracy of closed captions necessitates proper preparation. Any information about the speaker is valuable, even if it's not directly related to their current speech (e.g., their online biography).