Commencement speeches are meant to inspire the undergraduate students they address. But it’s hard to feel inspired when you have never heard of the speaker.
Despite her apparent lack of familiarity among the student body, Jessica Jackley, co-founder of Kiva.org, was the College of Letters and Sciences’ first choice for the role of this year’s commencement speaker based on her transformative leadership style at the micro-financing website, according to Judith Smith, UCLA dean and vice provost for undergraduate education.
Many students have already voiced frustration about the decision ““ as they should. Jackley’s selection is problematic ““ not because of who she is but because of the long-standing process that lacks an adequate assessment of student opinion.
Each year, the commencement speaker is chosen by a cabinet comprised of the five deans of the College of Letters and Sciences. The cabinet compiles a list of potential candidates and selects the speaker from this pool.
The cabinet does often make an effort to reach out to select students, generally surveying members of the Undergraduate Students Association Council. But during their brainstorming process, they fail to gauge the general consensus of the student body.
Because of this, the selection of commencement speakers has frequently sparked controversy, inspiring student opposition online. Most recently, petitions and Facebook pages appeared in 2010 when OC Weekly columnist Gustavo Arellano was chosen, and again in 2009 against actor and recent alumnus James Franco.
This backlash from students is understandable. UCLA is one of the top public universities in the nation and often attracts notable speakers throughout the year.
If the university is able to secure prominent world figures during the school year through programs put on by the Burkle Center and International Institute, why should this occasion be any different?
As students prepare to make the transition from undergraduate study into the next chapter of their lives, they want to hear from people they know, respect and are inspired by.
The cabinet needs to respect students, the recipients of this address, by actively seeking their input.
The university should facilitate a forum or survey that seeks input on the selection of the commencement speaker from graduating students.
Inquiring about who students are inspired by and what students look for in a speaker is essential. This is their commencement, after all.
Who inspires you? Voice your opinion on the ideal commencement speaker by commenting below.