Graduating MPA Students,

Are you interested in speaker at the MPA Commencement Ceremony? Do you know a classmate who would be the perfect commencement speaker? The MPA Program Office is now accepting nominations for our MPA Commencement student speakers.

Please provide the following information to MPAEvents@mccombs.utexas.edu by Friday, April 26. The MPA Program Office will review student speaker nominations, and nominees will be notified of our decision (whether or not they were selected) approximately a week later. We typically select one iMPA speaker and one tMPA speaker. Each speaker is allotted ten minutes, with 20 minutes allotted for student speeches in total.

  1. Why do you feel you would make a good Commencement speaker? What are your qualifications?
  2. Please provide a short summary of the main topic(s) of your speech.
  3. Provide a short video** (2 minutes or less) of yourself delivering either the introductory or concluding remarks of your speech.
    **We are looking for simple cell phone videos, so please do not feel like you need video editing skills to produce this. The MPA Commencement speaker selection committee will use these videos in evaluating the nominees.**

If you have not already done so, please RSVP for Commencement:

The MPA Commencement ceremony will take place Saturday, May 25 at 12:30 p.m. at Gregory Gym.  There will be a reception beforehand at 10:30 a.m. in the McCombs Atrium. There is information on the MPA website regarding the festivities.  This is where you will find information regarding regalia, parking, accommodations for elderly and disabled guests, and so on.

RSVP Link

Key points about the RSVP:

  • An RSVP is required from each and every graduating student. There is an option to select “Not Attending Commencement” to let me know that you will not be attending.
  • Your families and friends do not need to RSVP because you will include your number of guests on the form. Tickets are not required.
  • An RSVP for the ceremony is not the same as a degree application.  If you are officially receiving the MPA degree this spring, please refer to the emails from your academic advisors with application instructions.  If you are receiving the MPA degree this summer, you will RSVP for the ceremony now, and wait to apply for the degree in the summer.