Cuesta College Student Life & Leadership: ASCC Bylaws

Selection of Student Commencement Speaker Bylaws

  1. The ASCC president is considered the official student commencement speaker for each Cuesta College graduation ceremony. The president does not receive additional financial compensation in this role.
  2. In the event the ASCC president chooses not to assume this role, or extenuating circumstances occur that show just cause as to why the ASCC president should not be the official student commencement speaker, the Student Senate may recruit for a student commencement speaker.
  3. Should the Student Senate opt to recruit for a student commencement speaker, the process is as follows.
    1. Staff and faculty will be sent a memo early in the spring semester asking them to nominate a student speaker.
    2. The guidelines will include the following expectations:
      1. The recommended student must be a member of the current Cuesta College graduating class.
      2. The recommended student must be a competent and proficient speaker.
      3. The recommending staff/faculty members must provide background explaining why they feel that the student they nominate is a qualified speaker to address the graduating class.
      4. The recommended student must be willing to speak and show his/her interest by submitting a 250-word essay that will be attached to the staff member’s recommendation form. It is the staff member's responsibility to notify the student of this essay requirement.
      5. The student will be contacted for an interview with the Student Commencement Speaker Selection Committee and must be prepared to present a 5-minute speech representative of what his/her presentation would be to the graduating class.
    3. It is the responsibility of the Student Senate to approve a Student Commencement Speaker Selection Committee, which is comprised of all Executive Cabinet Officers; two (2) Senators; and ASCC advisor(s) who serve as ex officio, non-voting members.
    4. The Student Commencement Speaker Selection Committee will be responsible for interviewing and listening to the 5-minute speeches of the candidates. They will then deliberate and make a recommendation to Senate for a student commencement speaker.
    5. The Student Senate will approve the recommendation of the Student Commencement Speaker Selection Committee at their next regularly scheduled Senate Meeting.
    6. The Student Senate will consider approving a $50 stipend (which can be changed to a higher or lower amount by the Senate each year; otherwise it remains at $50) to the selected student, to be paid from the ASCC Activities AccountTH4010. This stipend is to be presented to the student speaker by the ASCC President at the commencement ceremony.
  4. Prior to commencement, the approved student commencement speaker will be expected to meet with the director of Admissions and Records (the coordinator of the commencement event) and with the Vice President, Student Support, to discuss details for the event and speech preparation.
Approved by Student Senate April 20, 2004.