1. Brevity.

Almost everyone in the audience will be thinking primarily about the scant seconds when their, or their loved one’s, name is called and they process across the stage. Everything else at the multi-hour ceremony should accede to that reality.

A 10- to 12-minute speech is plenty enough time to make an impact.

2. The students are the stars.

 A big stage, a captive audience, and a significant moment can tempt many speakers into exploring an esoteric theme or flattering the institution’s achievements. There is a time for such speeches, but commencement is not it. An impactful speech will keep the content relentlessly focused on the students—their personality as a class, their accomplishments, and their future. Good commencement speakers will have done the homework to make the speech personal in these ways.

3. Acknowledges the current moment.

While in years past it may have been natural to include a line like, “As you prepare to enter the real world…,” such a sentiment is wildly out of sync with the current moment. These graduating students have been and are deeply engaged with the enormous challenges of our time. Attuned commencement speakers will acknowledge the context in which the ceremony is taking place with sensitivity, humanity, and diplomacy.

4. Reflects on the graduates’ unique time at the institution.

For every graduating class, specific experiences made their time on campus meaningful. Many members of the undergraduate Class of 2024 made do with a virtual high school graduation before beginning their college experience masked and distanced, amidst the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though vaccination rates climbed and infection rates dropped during their time on campus, their experience was far from the one they had imagined. A thoughtful speech will recognize and honor their perseverance and the singular place they hold in the institution’s history.

5. Honors parents and families, in all the ways those are defined.

Many students will be the first in their families to earn a degree, while others will build on the accomplishments of prior generations. In almost all cases, they wouldn’t be walking across that stage without the sacrifice and support of their families. This moment is as much about these loved ones as the graduates. The language should be inclusive too, recognizing family can mean not just parents but stepparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and dear friends. A  thoughtful and moving speech will honor these loved ones enthusiastically. They have certainly earned it.

6. Welcomes graduates to the alumni family.

Commencement marks the end of these individuals’ identity as a student and the beginning of their identity as an alum. If the president is the speaker, they’ll wisely celebrate this transition, welcome graduates into the institution’s alumni network, and inspire them to stay engaged across their lifetimes.

7. Offers hope and optimism.

In the face of the negative public narrative about higher education and the incredibly difficult situation taking place on some campuses now, the commencement speech more than ever must drive home the point that higher education is an inherently optimistic endeavor—that one can advance their and their families’ prospects and that rigorously prepared intellects can positively impact society. A well-crafted commencement speech will buoy new graduates with confidence, joy, and hope as they step forward to do so.