An invitation has been extended to a graduation speaker candidate, but the Office of the President will not release any name until a confirmation is received, according to Executive Assistant to the President Matthew Cullinan.
"We're not ready to announce yet," Cullinan said. "Hopefully, we'll be ready to announce in the next couple of weeks."
Cullinan said that every year several potential speakers are identified, but the quality of names on the list is more important than the number.
"We always identify a couple of candidates," he said, "and because of the nature of the candidates that we try to attract, the length of the list is less important than the quality of candidate."
An important aspect in the quality of the graduation speaker candidate, according to Cullinan, is the message delivered to the students, as well as the way they represent the University.
Cullinan said he looks for "someone of stature who will deliver a good message for our students and someone who represents Notre Dame well."
The final decision as to the speaker lies with University President Father Edward Malloy.
