Each spring, members of the Tufts community eagerly await the announcement of the commencement speaker and Honorary Degree recipients - major selections that have come to reflect the university's culture and values. Since 1858, Tufts has sought to honor recipients who represent the ideals and beliefs of the school, and has also encouraged the community to voice its opinions throughout the selection process.
An Honorary Degree is the greatest distinction Tufts can award, according to University President Anthony Monaco. Those who receive honorary degrees and speak at commencement have attained the highest level of achievement in ways that are as rich and varied as Tufts itself, Monaco said.
"Our commencement speakers are further distinguished by their ability to inspire and excite our graduates," Monaco told the Daily in an email. "What makes them special is what makes Tufts special."
This year, Tufts awards five Honorary Degrees to a wide variety of recipients, including a social activist, a historian, a novelist, a member of Tufts' Board of Trustees and Anne-Marie Slaughter, this year's commencement speaker. In June 2012, Slaughter penned the article "Why Women Still Can't Have It All" in The Atlantic, a piece which sparked serious discussion of contemporary gender equality. She is also the current president and CEO of the New America Foundation, a public policy institute and idea incubator.
In a March 14 Tufts Now article, Monaco said that he believes this year's speaker reflects important aspects of Tufts' traditions.
"Slaughter represents the multifaceted excellence and civic engagement to which Tufts is committed," he said. "We are anticipating her commencement address with great interest."
So how does the university select its commencement speakers? According to a June 21, 2013 Boston Globe article, the field of commencement speakers and honorary degree recipients is a changing landscape. Many Boston-area schools are moving away from selecting politicians, artists and educators as their graduation speakers, instead acquiring celebrities, media personalities and technology innovators to deliver their commencement addresses. For example, in the past to years Harvard University has hosted speakers such as Oprah Winfrey and Fareed Zakaria.
Secretary of the Corporation in the Office of the Trustees Paul Tringale, who oversees the all-university commencement activities, has also noticed this trend.
"The [commencement speakers of] schools in Boston have changed," he said. "They had more political figures in the past."
In the past 10 years, Tufts has hosted both media and political figures as commencement speakers, including Meredith Viera in 2008 and current Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in 2009. Though the type of speakers at many Boston universities is changing, Tufts still relies on its traditional selection process.
The tradition of granting Honorary Degrees began two years after the first commencement ceremony was held, according to Tringale. The decisions are made by the Honorary Degree Committee, which is comprised of eight members who present nominations to the Board of Trustees.
"The Honorary Degree recipients are those who are in the highest level in their fields," Tringale said.
During the selection process, Tufts students have the opportunity to submit recommendations for both the commencement speaker and Honorary Degree recipients. This is an integral part of the process, and ensures that the decision is not just a reflection of one committee but of the entire Tufts community, according to Monaco. The committee welcomes nominations from students, faculty, staff and the Board of Trustees.
The Honorary Degree Committee asks for nominations in May, and then discusses these names with the entire Trustee Board over the summer. Tringale explained his role in the Honorary Degree selection process.
"My job is to offer support during this process by doing research of the nominees, including their background, and information about whether they have received Honorary Degrees before, or how times they were nominated," he said.
Monaco has served on the Honorary Degree Committee since becoming president in August 2011. Each year the committee receives several dozen new nominees, which represent a wide range of backgrounds and accomplishments, according to Monaco. Though participation in the open-nomination system varies, many students appreciate this system.
"[Although] I didn't submit a nomination in the past, I think it's a good thing that Tufts makes it an open forum for [the] selection of commencement speakers," senior Lillian Wang said. "I think it's always good that they ask."
Eric Greitens, a United States Navy SEAL officer who was named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2013, was Tufts' 2012 all-university commencement speaker.
"He ... [is a] humanitarian, got a Ph.D and did his service," Tringale said. "He also started a national nonprofit organization, and ... is a Rhodes and a Truman Scholar. And he is quite young."
Tringale explained how Greitens embodied Tufts' missions and goals.
"[It] is really impressive for a person at his age to accomplish all of these [things]," he said. "Greitens represents the highest level in his field and reflects many of the same values that Tufts cherishes."
Students hope that this year's speaker will bring another valuable perspective to the Hill.
"I am very excited [for the speaker this year]," Wang said. "She has a very interesting experience, as she worked for Hillary Clinton. I read her article [in] The Atlantic a couple of years ago, and I think she [has] a very rare but honest perspective on work-life balance for professional women. I think that's a very relevant and interesting perspective."
While many factors influence the selection of both the commencement speaker and Honorary Degree recipients, Monaco reiterated that openness is a key part of the process.
"I think the most important point to keep in mind is that Tufts has a community-wide process for nominating people to receive Honorary Degrees or deliver the commencement address," Monaco said. "We are not only open to input, but we actively encourage it."
With help from the entire community, Tufts works to select Honorary Degree recipients and commencement speakers who adequately represent the university as a whole.
"They embody excellence, service and commitment to others," Monaco said. "[All of which are] values embraced by our community."
