From 2.5 Hours to 50 Minutes: How Cochise College Transformed Their Commencement
Jennifer Wantz had a problem. As the executive dean of community engagement at Cochise College, she watched their commencement ceremony stretch longer and longer each year, testing the patience of graduates, families, and faculty alike. What should have been a celebration of achievement had become an endurance test – and she knew something had to change.
The tipping point came when Cochise College made the decision to allow certificate recipients to walk at commencement alongside degree graduates. While this inclusive policy honored more students' achievements, it added 100 participants to their ceremony, pushing the total time to an exhausting two and a half hours.
"It was long and it was hard to get people into a rhythm, and it wasn't as personal as we would have hoped," Jennifer recalls. "Students were leaving with their families before the ceremony was over."
Then fate intervened in the form of a family graduation trip.
Seeing the Solution in Action
The week before Cochise College's lengthy 2023 commencement, Jennifer found herself in the audience at Arizona State University, watching her son graduate from the School of Engineering. What she witnessed changed everything.
"I watched them graduate something like 1,200 students in two hours," she says with obvious admiration. As her son's name was called and appeared on screen alongside his degree, Jennifer had her lightbulb moment: "That's slick. That's real slick."
The contrast was stark. ASU had managed to efficiently honor 1,200 graduates in less time than Cochise College needed for fewer than 400. More importantly, each graduate received a personalized moment – their name pronounced clearly and their achievement displayed prominently for all to see.
Driving home from her son's graduation, Jennifer's mind was already racing with possibilities. "When our commencement was over and I was a little frustrated with how slow and long it was," she remembers, "I did some research and found out about Tassel by searching on the internet to figure out what it was that ASU used."
The Dramatic Transformation
The results of Cochise College's first Tassel‑powered commencement exceeded every expectation.
"I think we got through 353 names in about 50 minutes," Jennifer reports, "and the year before it was 2 and 1/2 hours for 364 names." The time reduction was staggering: more than an hour and a half cut from the ceremony length.
The efficiency gains came from multiple factors. The streamlined scanning process eliminated delays between graduates. The clear display of names and degrees on screen meant they could eliminate individual degree conferrals for each program, instead grouping associate degrees together and certificates together. Most importantly, the natural rhythm created by the technology kept the ceremony moving at an optimal pace.
While the time reduction solved Cochise College's primary problem, the additional benefits proved equally valuable. The display of each graduate's name and degree on screen elevated the ceremony's professionalism and personalization.
"The name coming up on the screen with the degree was a game changer for us," Jennifer explains. "Even if we didn't have the name pronunciation with Tassel, that alone was stepping it up another notch."
The pre‑recorded name pronunciation feature addressed another longstanding concern. While Jennifer praised their traditional name pronunciators, she knew the anxiety that comes with potential mispronunciation: "I don't want any name spelled or said incorrectly, and this solved that."
Measuring Success
The true measure of success came in the feedback from the community that matters most: graduates and their families.
"The only complaints we got this year were about traffic, and had nothing to do with the ceremony," Jennifer reports with satisfaction. "We got nothing but rave reviews from our students and families about the actual ceremony. They loved it."
The contrast with previous years was stark. No more students leaving early. No more families fidgeting through an overly long ceremony. No more complaints about mispronounced names. Instead, a celebration that honored every graduate efficiently and professionally.
"No one complained about their name pronunciations. Nobody," Jennifer emphasizes.
Looking Ahead
For next year's ceremony, Jennifer plans one small adjustment: "We'll have them just slow it down a hot second. Just count for two before you scan the next name." The goal is to maintain the efficiency while giving each graduate's moment just a bit more space to breathe.
Jennifer's journey from a frustrated event planner watching students leave early to a satisfied administrator receiving rave reviews illustrates how the right technology can transform institutional traditions. Her willingness to research solutions, invest in quality, and implement change created benefits that extended far beyond time savings.
"Worth every penny," she concludes simply.
The transformation at Cochise College proves that efficiency and personalization aren't opposing forces – they can enhance each other. By dramatically reducing ceremony length while simultaneously improving the experience for each graduate, they created a celebration that truly honors achievement without testing anyone's endurance.