The 2014 Tommie Award recipient will not be required to speak at the undergraduate commencement this spring because St. Thomas is implementing a new nomination process.

Students, faculty and staff can nominate graduating seniors with a 3.0 GPA or higher who are in good standing with the university. A committee of students, faculty and staff will then choose a finalist from among the nominees.

Director of Student Engagement Vernon Klobassa said the nomination-based system will better represent the views of the St. Thomas community. The department will receive feedback through online ballots.

“We felt as though this process would better involve students, faculty and staff, and give them more input,” Klobassa said.

Students can be nominated through an online ballot.

Nominees will be invited to submit a topic proposal and outline for the commencement speech. Finalists will eventually present a final draft of their speech, and the committee will then choose finalists for the Commencement Ceremony on May 24.

The winner of the Tommie Award could still be chosen to speak at commencement, but that decision would be based on the speech he or she gives in front of the committee.

Senior McKenzie Morgan said the change to an open nomination process makes sense.

“I think the speech would be more meaningful, plus the speaker would actually be somebody who wants to be up there speaking,” Morgan said. “The Tommie Award is like an obligation to speak, but maybe the winner doesn’t want to.”

Senior Steve Joerger said that while he respects the Tommie Award winner each year, it doesn’t mean that he or she is entitled to be the commencement speaker.

“Just because a student isn’t recognized as a winner of the Tommie Award shouldn’t take away their chance at speaking to their graduating class and expressing their thoughts to their fellow graduates,” Joerger said.

Senior Ryen Densmore said she was concerned about the public speaking ability of the student chosen commencement speaker.

“Maybe it will be someone who is a good speaker, instead of someone who won an award,” Densmore said.

Senior Clare Johnson said she thinks the nomination process will have a greater influence on the St. Thomas community.

“It’s a little more fair,” Johnson said. “You can pick someone who represents your class better.”

Klobassa said reviewing the nomination policies in place at other universities affected the decision.

“I looked around to other institutes of higher education around the area and saw that we at St. Thomas had a much different policy regarding the commencement speaker. So, I drafted a proposal to change the process,” Klobassa said.

Klobassa said the proposal has been well received by members of the St. Thomas community, and the number of nominees has already reached double digits.

“I have not heard one bit of negative feedback regarding the change in policy, and it has all been in favor of the nomination process,” Klobassa said. “I think that positive feedback is a reflection of the increased voice granted to all Tommies.”

Klobassa said due to the confidentiality of the process, the identities of the nominees and members of the committee won’t be revealed at this time.

Nominations for the 2014 commencement speaker will be accepted until Monday, Feb. 17.

Tom Pitzen can be reached at pitz2014@stthomas.edu.