Convocations Proposal Guidelines

Last Edited May 2025 

The Convocation program is a unique and wonderful part of our academic experience at Centre College, for which students can choose to receive academic credit in exchange for attending 12 “Convos” throughout the academic year. 

What are the major requirements? 

  • Note application deadlines.
  • Complete the application (read steps carefully, they will guide you).
  • Design a poster and/or social media image for your event and send to the Convocation Manager.
  • Coordinate all logistics for your event including travel, accommodations, and check requests.
  • Budget accordingly for your event. 

How do I pay for my Convocation? 

  • The Convocation Committee approves up to $500 for a select number of events.
  • You are more likely to receive funding if your application meets all the requirements and is submitted by the “Early” deadline.  
  • Any amount over and above the committee’s allocation will be your responsibility to coordinate. Often, various departments will aid in the sponsorship of a convocation. These details must be lined up prior to submitting the application. 

Which Convos will be approved? 

Every proposal is considered individually, but the committee uses the following guidelines for their decision-making: 
  • Automatic Convocations: MLK Day, Press Lectures, and Humana Speakers (1credit events), as well as Opening Convo, Honors Convo, and Building Bridges & Community Day (2-credit events) will automatically receive Convocation status.
  • Events that bring in distinguished outside visitors: Certain events are supported by funds designated for this purpose in the College’s Endowment, such as Humana speakers, Grissom Artists-in-Residence, Phi Beta Kappa speakers, etc.
  • Events that promote or address issues of diversity and/or inclusion: The Committee has made a commitment that at least one-third of all Convocations will address issues of diversity and/or inclusion.
  • On-Campus Theatre and Music Events: Student performances in music, theatre, and dance have a long history of receiving Convocation status. Additionally, many Norton Center events will qualify for Convocation status. The Committee works with the appropriate sponsors to determine which performances will be approved.
  • Events that address the priorities of the institutional Strategic Plan, which are:  
    • Experiential learning and community engagement
    • Career readiness
    • Community wellness

More information about Centre’s strategic planning priorities can be found here: Centre College Strategic Plan 2022-2025 

Other considerations include: 

  • The balance of different types/topics
  • The likely breadth of interest—topics that are narrow or specific to a single discipline are less likely to be approved. Conversely, events that are sponsored by multiple campus groups are likely to have broader appeal.
  • The size of the venue
  • Whether the application is complete
  • Whether the event is open to the public (Most Convocations are)
  • Whether there are other Convocations on the same date

Events that will not receive Convocation credit: 

  • Events limited a segment of the campus community - all Convocations should be open to faculty, staff, and students.
  • Training/Workshops – while valuable, they are not a part of the mission of the Convocation program.
  • Multiple events in the same academic year featuring the same speaker or performer on the same subject. We will not approve 3 convocations in an academic year featuring the same person or group.
  • Commercial/Marketing events
  • Events that involve proselytizing or the dissemination of propaganda
  • Results of student scholarship and other activities. Those should be presented at the RICE Symposium. Only the John C. Young presentations are given convocation status. 

Please note: events that are entirely within the “Centre bubble” (featuring faculty, staff, and/or students) are valuable and encouraged, but unlikely to be approved as Convocations. Exceptions may be made for time-sensitive topics of national or international importance. The committee would also like to stress that many valuable events on campus are not Convocation. 

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