Letter
To the editor:
Thank you for your May 25th article on Professor Michael Smith, the new University Marshall. Convocations play an important role in students' University experience and shedding some light on the important work and leadership provided by the marshall is laudable.
I would also like to point out the importance and the volume of work carried out by the staff of the Admissions, Recruitment and Registrar's Office. A remarkable quantity of highly detailed and critically important work is completed by ARR staff in a very contracted period of time.
To name but a few of the tasks: production and distribution of diplomas, coordination of gown booking and distribution, production and distribution of lineup cards, hiring of all additional staff required for the events, platform party arrangements, administering the convocation budget and assisting with venue investigation, selection and bookings.
One of the most painstaking tasks is the preparation of the convocation program for each of eight annual ceremonies, listing all graduands (with the correct spelling of their names) along with the appropriate prizes and other recognitions. This exercise is completed in a very short timeframe, with many last-minute additions, and requires an almost infinite number of proofreading iterations.
All of this work is typically carried out in the background so seamlessly that it appears effortless. Nothing could be further from the truth. We owe a great debt of thanks to all of the staff of the ARR that make this possible, with particular thanks to Mary Lou Jasper, Margot Kyle, Vicki Loschiavo, Marina Swoboda and the rest of the team.
Robin Geller, Registrar
Registrar and Director of Admissions
