University officials say starting the selection process early will result in more time to approach candidates and will increase UNC's chances of obtaining one of its first speaker choices.
Members of the Commencement Speaker Selection Committee had their first meeting Sunday to discuss selection criteria, said committee Chairwoman Bernadette Gray-Little.
The selection for past speakers has typically begun in the fall, Gray-Little said. But she said many speakers schedule their engagements ahead of time, which makes earlier planning a necessity.
"Some speakers are booked six months, a year or even two years in advance," she said. "In the past, speakers have been willing to come (to UNC's graduation), but they already had commitments."
Senior Class President-elect and committee member Paymon Rouhanifard said members hope to formulate a prioritized list of five to 10 candidates by the end of the semester. He said the committee will then present the list to Chancellor James Moeser, who ultimately contacts speakers and extends the Commencement invitation.
The committee currently has no deadline for securing a speaker.
Rouhanifard said he plans to elicit seniors' opinions about Commencement speakers through e-mails and Pit sits after the senior marshals are selected. He said that marshal applications will be available starting today and that 35 to 40 positions will be filled by mid-April.
But Rouhanifard said the format in which seniors provide their speaker recommendations will change. He said instead of simply providing names, students will now have to give additional information about their selection.
"It will be more like a nomination," Rouhanifard said. "Seniors will have to say why they want their choice and how (the speaker's) message will benefit the University."
