Virtual Ceremony FAQs

Virtual Ceremony FAQs

Virtual Ceremony FAQs


What Is a Virtual Ceremony?

Tassel virtual ceremonies are web-based experiences that allow ceremony coordinators to  recognize their graduates and celebrate their accomplishments with digital versions of the traditional graduation ceremony elements:

  • Program: Embedded video of Speeches, Tributes and Musical Numbers

  • Individual Graduate Recognition via our customizable slides

  • Create a communal moment for grads and guests with live webcasting and integrated social media channels

Speeches and presentations can be pre-recorded or shown live via webcast. Drawing on our

core competencies, we realized that we could help with the other two aspects of a virtual

ceremony. Using Tassel, graduation planners can create personalized slides – with

photos and messages supplied by graduates – as well as graduate name announcements.

We’ve also created a flexible virtual ceremony Website template so that graduates, families,

and their community can celebrate together online.



How Do I Host My Virtual Ceremony?

All of Tassel’s virtual ceremony options allow you to display your personalized graduate

slides in an easy-to-access virtual hub.

Option 1 – Host on a Tassel virtual ceremony site

  • Tassel will create slides for each graduate (including audio if the school records graduate names through Tassel); the slides will be posted to a virtual ceremony website. Within this website, school administrators can add videos, text, and social media feeds.

  •  Tassel provides the structure of the website and the graduate slides – the other

  • content (videos, social media, text) is created and added by the school administrator. This solution is streamlined, and partially customizable. 

Option 2 – Host on Your School’s Internal Website via an Embeddable iFrame

  •  Tassel provides an iframe link that can be used to embed the graduate slides within your internal website.

  • The link will be available via the virtual hub at least three days prior to your virtual ceremony.

Option 3 – Host on Your School’s Internal Website – Tassel Provides Raw Files

  • Tassel will create slides for each graduate (and recordings, if applicable). Once complete, Tassel will package the raw audio files, graduate slide images, and an Excel list – and then send this to the school to use as needed.

  • In this scenario, a school/university representative will be responsible for creating a virtual ceremony website, including posting the slides, and attaching the audio. This solution requires a somewhat substantial effort from your IT team, but can be fully customized.



Who Films My Videos / How Are They Used?

Tassel provides the template and tools you need to create a customized ceremony

experience, including the generation of slideshow videos and the ability to host YouTube and

Vimeo clips on a virtual ceremony site. Tassel is not a video production company.


Other than the graduate slides and name recordings, Tassel does not produce commencement video or direct live event programs.


Ceremony Administrators are responsible for arranging the production of additional video

content and hosting them on the appropriate platform for presentation or live webcasting.


Ceremony coordinators can use the virtual ceremony virtual hubl to add YouTube/Vimeo links

to the Tassel virtual ceremony Website, as well as any social media feeds or text (e.g.,

a message from the President).


How Will Graduates Access the Virtual Ceremony Site?

Graduates will access the site via the virtual ceremony URL, which can be found in your virtual hub. You will be granted access to your virtual hub at least two weeks prior to your ceremony date.


The virtual ceremony URL and Internal URL are in the top right-hand corner of your virtual hub. If you have multiple virtual ceremony pages, use the drop-down menu to toggle between ceremonies and access an individual link for each virtual ceremony page.


If you would like to circulate the virtual ceremony URL prior to your ceremony date, you may do

so, while still hiding the content of the page, by setting the “Open Date” within the virtual hub. Until the designated ceremony date, time, visitors to the virtual ceremony page will find the

following message:

Note: Be sure to mark the appropriate time zone when setting your “Open Date.”


The Internal URL will allow you to see your live page updates prior to the start date. This link should be only shared to members of your team for the purposes of reviewing content and

layout before the ceremony date.


How Many Videos Can I Include?

The Tassel virtual ceremony sites will support up to five embedded videos, hosted on YouTube or Vimeo. Livestreams via these platforms are also supported.


Users who wish to include more than five individual videos can instead embed a YouTube

playlist or Vimeo showcase, which can be setup within those platforms and include an unlimited

number of videos in one window.


If you have multiple virtual ceremony sites, you can use different videos for each ceremony.

You will be able to add a title and short description for each video.


If you wish to embed a live stream, you must set the start time in the live streaming platform

(YouTube, etc.) If you embed pre-produced videos, the viewer will simply need to press play to

start the show.


To create the communal watching experience, we recommend using YouTube Premiere to

debut a pre-produced video program at a designated time. This feature lets your graduates and

their loved ones experience the ceremony together, much like watching a TV show premiere or

sporting event. Premiering your video allows you to schedule a video upload and to create buzz

around the video with a shareable watch page. An advertised premiere time, in conjunction with

a robust social media plan, can create a surge of engagement on the day of your ceremony.


Helpful Links:


What About Accessibility?

ADA Compliance

Both the Data Collection Websites and the virtual ceremony Websites will be screen reader

capable (VPAT and WCAG 2.1 Compliant).

Video Captioning

Tassel does not provide captioning for the videos that are included on the Tassel virtual ceremony site. School Administrators will be responsible for adding captioning to any videos.


Which Social Media Tools Can Be Added to My Virtual Ceremony Website?

Tassel virtual ceremony will support the following social media options:

  • •Twitter - Coordinators may embed a single Twitter feed (e.g. the official university

  • account) and use a hashtag button to prompt users to tweet using a university-defined prompt.

  • Social media aggregators - Curator, Tagboard and Tint

  •  ProPics Photo Collage

  • If your school or university is using a third-party social media aggregator, speak with

  • your Customer Success Manager early to schedule a test to make sure it can be embedded properly.


Can I make changes to my virtual ceremony slides after they have been published to the virtual ceremony?

Yes, you can make slide modifications, late additions, or deletions to your virtual ceremony

student slides after they have been published. The Virtual Ceremony - Updating Participants guide will walk through the steps to make needed changes, and to publish them to live.



Am I able to collect analytics?

Analytics can be collected through Google Tags.



Handle High Traffic?

The virtual ceremony sites are 100% static HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. By not being connected to a database, they are designed to be capable of heavy user traffic.


The videos on the virtual ceremony sites are hosted externally / never pass through the

Tassel server (straight to end user). The graduate slides are loaded to the virtual ceremony sites as thumbnails that are very small in size, reducing the requirements for downloading the page.

The Tassel server is hosted in a scalable environment; any increase in traffic is detected and addressed by automated resource allocation.


How Do I Create a Slideshow to Be Shown Live?

The slideshow video can be easily created from the Tassel Director software, using the

Generate Slideshow Video button located on the main menu. Please click HERE for full

instructions.

You will be able to specify a time per slide and slide order. The system will default to last name

alpha order. If you prefer an alternate order, such as degree level, degree, then last name

alpha, please let us know, as we will need to configure the software accordingly beforehand.


Can I Design My Own Slide Background?

Yes, instructions for creating your own background, as well as links to templates that will help

design your background, can be found here: Instructions for Designing Your Own Background

What About Students That Do Not Submit a Photo or Message?

For students that do not submit a photo when registering, or do not register at all, Tassel will create a basic graduate slide with the available information (e.g., Name, Degree, Major, Honors, etc.).


Additionally, their name will be recorded if using name announcements, and their slide / audio will be uploaded to the virtual ceremony site. You may also opt to provide a stock photo to be used for all graduates that do not submit a photo.


How Long Will My Virtual Ceremony Website Be Live?

All ceremonies will be archived after 2 years. Tassel can provide you with the raw data (slides, audio, and a list of graduates): prior to your data being removed from the live site, upon request.