Commencement Ceremony Management Software System

The Vendor is required to provide to establish one contract through competitive negotiation for a comprehensive commencement management software system.
- Functional requirements
1. Student data management:
•    System must integrate with existing student information systems (sis) for automated data transfer of graduation candidates. 
•    Ability to track student progress toward graduation requirements and eligibility for commencement participation. 
•    Management of student personal information, contact details, preferred name and pronouns, and guest details for attendees. 
•    Ability for students to update their name as they wish it to appear on the reader card and screen, including automatic capitalization of names entered in lowercase. 
•    Capture and display degrees, honors, and multiple degrees on screen as graduates cross the stage. 
•    Ability to capture and store ADA accommodation requests for both graduates and their guests.
2. Application and registration:
•    Provide online application portal for students to apply for graduation and register for the ceremony. 
•    Support for multiple graduation terms and ceremony dates. 
•    Rsvp management allowing students to update their attendance preferences in one centralized platform. 
•    Customizable registration forms to collect necessary information (e.g., guest count, special accommodation, ADA needs). 
•    Confirmation email sent to students upon completion of registration. 
•    Option for students to receive text message updates and reminders. 
•    Ability to make real-time updates to graduate lists (adding and removing graduates, especially for pronunciation changes).
3. Ticketing and guest management:
•    Event ticketing system for students to reserve or receive guest tickets in advance. 
•    Ability to create multiple ticket types and unique ticketing for the same ceremony
•    Ability to set limits on guest attendance and manage ticket allocations. 
•    Integration with QR codes or other scan able tickets for efficient entry management. 
•    Secure, customizable electronic tickets that can include school branding and event specific information. 
•    Support for special guest ticketing and open-seating venues (general admission). 
•    Ticket sharing, swapping, and return functionality, with ability to make additional requests. 
•    System-generated confirmations for ticket transactions.
4. Ceremony logistics and planning:
•    Features for scheduling ceremony events, speakers, and rehearsal times. 
•    Tools to manage academic regalia orders and distribution. 
•    Support for seating arrangements and name announcement processing. 
•    Pronunciation and announcement support, including the ability to store and review recordings by professional announcers. 
•    Ability to allocate seats for various groups. 
•    Integration with photography vendor for image capture coordination. 
•    Ability to print reader cards in real time (including replacements if lost or destroyed), with customizable design. 
•    Capability to manage and track real-time graduate check-ins. 
•    Ability to digitally manage student information vs. physical name cards, creating a more efficient and organized ceremony.
5. Communication and reporting:
•    Automated communication tools for sending announcements, reminders, and important updates to graduates and guests (email and text). 
•    Robust reporting capabilities for data analysis, attendance tracking, ticket usage, and demographic information. 
•    Ability to generate both visual reports and exports in excel or Microsoft office formats. 
•    Access to running totals of graduate check-ins during the event. 
•    Ability to survey students post-event regarding their commencement experience. 
•    Capture of photo release acknowledgements and related statements. 
•    Coordination in managing the order in which students walk across the stage, ensuring stage presentation transitions smoothly and accurately through name announcements.
6. Accessibility and compliance:
•    All interfaces (public, staff, and student) must meet ADA and WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards (accessibility conformance reports are required to be shared as part of the solicitation). 
•    User-friendly design for graduates, guests, and staff, ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies. 
•    Customizable interface to align with school branding and color schemes.
- Non-functional requirements
1. Integration and compatibility:
•    Seamless integration with existing university systems, including student information system (sis) and customer relationship management (CRM) tools. 
•    Provide APIs for custom integration and secure data exchange. 
•    Integration with institutional photography vendor for coordination and delivery of ceremony images.
2. User experience and accessibility:
•    User-friendly interface for both students and staff, accessible across multiple devices.
•    Full ADA compliance with all portals, meeting WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.
•    Ability to automatically capitalize student names entered in lowercase.
•    Interface customization to match the school’s branding and visual identity.
3. Security and data privacy:
•    Robust security protocols, including encryption for data in transit and at rest.
•    Compliance with applicable data privacy regulations.
•    Role-based access controls and comprehensive audit trails for all user activity.
4. Reliability and performance:
•    High system uptime with minimal downtime during peak periods.
•    Capability to handle large data volumes and significant spikes in traffic (100-10,000 graduates plus guests).
•    Real-time operational tools to support last-minute ceremony changes and adjustments without performance degradation.