How Calhoun Community College Cut Ceremony Time and Boosted Participation

For the team at Calhoun Community College, graduation day is one of the most important events of the year. But with hundreds of graduates, thousands of guests, and a recent move to a large arena venue, the logistics had become overwhelming.

Organizing this massive event are the Director of Admissions and Records, MaLea Milstead; the Coordinator of Student Advocacy and Accountability, Nicole Ricketts; the Assistant Director of Admissions and Records, Miesha Watts; and the Graduation/Reverse Transfer Specialist, LaNeisha Hardy. Together with the College’s Graduation Committee, their team oversees everything from student communications and registration to day‑of ceremony execution.

Before Tassel, Calhoun managed graduation logistics with spreadsheets and mail merges. Invitations were difficult to track, RSVPs were inconsistent, and communicating with graduates was time‑consuming. With the number of graduates and ceremony participants steadily increasing each year, the old process could no longer keep up, prompting the need for a modern and scalable solution.

In 2023, the team adopted Tassel to modernize their ceremonies. Since then, they’ve seen stronger participation, smoother logistics, and a more memorable experience for graduates and families alike. When the school transitioned from a small on‑campus ceremony to a much larger arena with up to 5,000 guests, the need for a better system became clear.

“We wanted something to upscale the experience at the ceremony, but also to help us on the back end with inviting graduates,” Nicole shared.

Easy Implementation and Smarter Communication

Adopting Tassel proved straightforward. With support from their dedicated Customer Success Manager, Kim, the team was able to implement quickly and build confidence in the platform.

“It was super simple,” Nicole explained. “We had a great customer success manager, and everything was very easy and straightforward.”

From day one, Tassel’s platform replaced stress with structure, letting the team focus on creating a seamless experience for their students and their families. With Tassel, the team now manages the entire registration and RSVP process in one place. Invitations go out through email, paired with timely text message reminders.

The combination has made a clear difference. “The texts trigger students to check their email and they respond a lot quicker,” MaLea shared. “It usually takes weeks before the ceremony for people to start registering after they get the alert emails, but the texts helped them register at least two months in advance.”

This streamlined approach not only reduced stress for staff but also helped the school surpass a milestone. In their most recent ceremony, over 600 students walked across the stage, the largest number to date!

A Streamlined Experience for Everyone

On the day of the event, Tassel’s Director software kept everything moving smoothly. The check‑in process was simplified, name displays worked seamlessly, and the team even exported the procession log to share with their photographer for easier post‑ceremony follow‑up.

“It's really helped streamline everything and make things easier on the day‑of,” Nicole said. “I think the only issue we've had with the Director software has been sometimes getting our AV stuff lined up to test things, but we've never had an issue that we haven't been able to work out quickly.”

Utilizing the Director software also allowed graduates to line up with their friends instead of being restricted to strict alphabetical order as in previous years. This small but meaningful change reduced stress for MaLea and her team, and made students feel more comfortable before their big moment. The atmosphere was more relaxed, the energy stayed high, and the ceremony felt like a true celebration. By simplifying logistics, the software not only made the event easier for staff to manage but also created a more memorable and positive experience for graduates.

Faster Ceremonies Without Losing Impact

One of the biggest transformations came on stage. In the past, announcers read each student’s name, degree, and honors, stretching ceremonies longer as participation increased each year. With Tassel’s digital displays, only names are read aloud while all other details are shown on‑screen. The result was a faster, more polished event.

“It was fantastic. We graduated 608 students and finished the entire ceremony, including speeches and closing remarks, all within two hours,” said MaLea. Nicole agreed, sharing, “Since we only read their names now, that's what's really helped the timing.” The year before they implemented Tassel, Calhoun’s graduation ceremony stretched to two and a half hours with only 474 graduates.

Looking Ahead

For Calhoun Community College, Tassel has become more than just a software solution. It’s a partner that reduces staff workload, shortens ceremonies, and enhances the student experience.

As MaLea and her team look to future ceremonies, they’re excited for upcoming features like automated scheduling for communications. But for now, they’re focused on building on their recent success and continuing to give every graduate their perfect moment.

Want to see how Tassel can help your school scale graduation with confidence? Talk to our team today.