Call for Nominations

Bemidji State University invites members of the campus community to nominate graduating students to serve as the student speaker at their respective commencement ceremony.

Commencement speakers represent the voice, values, and lived experience of the graduating class. Nominated students should demonstrate leadership, authenticity, resilience, and the ability to speak meaningfully to the collective student experience.

The selected student speaker will be invited to deliver a three-minute pre-approved address during their commencement ceremony.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for consideration, nominees must:

  • Be a member of the BSU graduating class for the year they are speaking
  • Be in good academic and conduct standing with the University
  • Demonstrate a history of meaningful involvement in the campus community

Selection Criteria

Some components of the selection process will be focused on individual attributes of the nominees, such as the eligibility criteria listed above. Other components of the selection process may include broader non-individual attributes, such as striving to include speakers from academic disciplines or areas of involvement across the years.

Nomination Process

  • Nominations may be submitted by any member of the campus community, including faculty, staff, and students
  • Nominations may be entered on a rolling basis for any future graduating class; for best consideration nominations are encouraged to be submitted no later than February 28th of the year of the student’s anticipated graduation
  • Self-nominations will not be entertained
  • Quantity of nominations for any one nominee will not be a consideration in selection
  • Final selection will be made by the Vice President for Student Affairs, in consultation with the Academic Dean(s) presiding over each ceremony

Invitation, Acceptance, Speech Review and Approval

Students selected as speakers will be notified by the Vice President for Student Affairs. Invitees will have the opportunity to accept or decline the invitation to speak.

Acceptance of the invitation to speak will include written acknowledgement of requirements including continuing to maintain good academic and conduct status with the university, maintaining graduation eligibility, understanding of expectations to align with commencement protocols, accessibility standards, and institutional values. Final speeches must be reviewed and approved by the Vice President for Student Affairs and the Office of Communication & Marketing.

Commencement Speaker Nomination Form

Student Information

Student Name(Required)
Academic College(Required)

Select other if you are unsure or if the student has majors in both colleges
Anticipated Commencement Year(Required)

Nominator Information

Nominator Name(Required)
Nominator Primary BSU/NTC Affiliation(Required)

In 100 words or less, describe your relationship to the student; i.e: I am the Advisor to a student organization the nominee has been involved with the past two semesters

Nomination Narrative

In 250 words or less please describe why you believe this student would be an effective and meaningful Commencement speaker. Possibly consider touching on: leadership, service, campus involvement, perseverance, academic journey, impact on others, ability to inspire, and ability to represent the graduating class.