The Future of Commencement
Project Name: The Future of Commencement
Team: Stephan Magro, Denis Downing, Rachel Lamson, Jason Luke, Erin Mackey Kistler, Jackie O’Neill, Emily Rutter
Schools and Unites Represented: Commencement Office, HUPD, Campus Services, Harvard Alumni Association, Marshal’s Office
Mission:
To make Commencement Week activities more secure and sustainable with a transition from paper to digital tickets.
We are aiming to make Commencement week activities more secure and sustainable with a transition from paper to digital tickets. Currently, ticketing is an arduous process, high in cost, human capital, and impact on the environment. By today’s standards, paper ticketing does not provide the level of security and safety desired in the Yard. Digital tickets can improve security, operations, communications, and efficiency in the Marshal’s Office, Harvard Alumni Association, and across the professional and graduate schools and College.
Outcome:
Digital tickets successfully introduced at 2018 Commencement Week activities.
The Future of Commencement project team recognized that digital tickets can improve security, operations, communications, and efficiency for Harvard Commencement activities. The team was able to successfully introduce the use of scanned tickets at key 2018 Commencement Week events. The data gathered from the digital devices allowed the project team to better understand how, where, and what type of guests participate in key Commencement Week events. Moreover, the data collected will be essential in helping the University enhance the experience for guests as well as in increasing the security and safety of our community during Commencement. Of those directly responsible for guests entering at the gates 98% of respondents found scanners easy or very easy to operate, 84% of respondents found lines were well managed, and 91% of respondents knew who to reach for assistance when/if an issue occurred. Overarching recommendations for 2019 have been identified and include discussing migrating to full digital ticketing process with University Tickets.