The University of Louisiana at Lafayette's General Assembly, part of its Commencement exercises on Saturday, will include social media.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on the Internet. Activities during the event will be posted online via Twitter and Instagram.
All graduates attend the General Assembly, where doctoral candidates receive their degrees. Graduates who earn bachelor's and master's degrees receive them at ceremonies for their respective colleges.
Alumnus Charles "Peanut" Tillman, a cornerback for the Chicago Bears, is the event’s guest speaker. In February, he received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
Amy Windsor, UL Lafayette's social media strategist, said, “The addition of technology will help families and friends who can’t attend the ceremony feel more connected with what's happening during Commencement. And, behind-the-scenes photos will be displayed on large video screens on the overhead scoreboard in the Cajundome before and after each College’s ceremony.
“We are adding a social media element to the day with a dedicated hashtag –#RaginGrads14 – and live posts for the event this semester.”
Well-wishers and graduates can tag social media posts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+, and Vine with #RaginGrads14, according to Windsor.
A University Web page, https://tagboard.com/ragingrads14, will display tagged social media posts from those platforms.
To view a no-cost live stream via computer, smartphone or tablet, users can sign in at http://new.livestream.com/accounts/4014053/events/2984845.
For more information about Commencement ceremonies and related activities, go to http://registar.louisiana.edu/content/commencement.