As commencement approaches at Elon University, behind the scenes, the landscaping, grounds, facilities and utilities teams are already deep into preparations to ensure the university looks its best for graduating students and their families.
For Audrey Rose, a gardener, commencement season is both familiar and demanding. While campus upkeep is a year-round responsibility, she said the work intensifies in the weeks leading up to graduation, particularly after May 8.
“It really starts about a month out for us or more,” Rose said. “But today is kind of the big push.”
Her day-to-day responsibilities don’t stop for commencement, but the focus shifts toward finishing details such as cleaning up flower beds, pruning, removing weeds and making sure every corner of campus is both safe and visually polished.
“All the grounds need to be looking as perfect as possible,” Rose said. “We’re just trying to work on the fine details.”
That attention to detail becomes even more important as staffing challenges add pressure to the workload. Rose noted that the department is currently operating short-staffed, which has made the preparation period more demanding.
“It makes it a little bit more challenging,” Rose said. “We’re just doing the best we can to keep everything looking as good as possible and keeping things watered.”
Despite the added pressure, Rose said the annual flower beds remain a personal highlight of her work. The rotating plant displays which are replanted and redesigned each year are something she enjoys maintaining no matter where they appear across campus.
“I would have to say the annual beds,” Rose said. “I’ve just always enjoyed them.”
For assistant gardener Cevion Marsh-Sheridan, commencement preparation is task-focused. He said the work picks up in the final week before events, with an emphasis on preparing trees and outdoor spaces where ceremonies and gatherings take place.
While his role centers on specific areas of maintenance, he pointed to those ceremonial spaces as requiring the most attention as graduation approaches.
Beyond landscaping, utility operations teams also play a major role in preparing campus facilities for commencement events. Brian Chandler, assistant director of utility operations, said his department focuses on ensuring all event spaces are fully functional and ready for large crowds.
“My role in commencement is to ensure my departments are checking certain areas and making sure all things are functional at different locations for all the events,” Chandler said.
Chandler said preparations typically begin several weeks before graduation with teams conducting walkthroughs of event spaces across campus.
According to Chandler, buildings that host commencement-related events require the most attention, including the Schar Center and Moseley Center.
His department alone includes 28 staff members across utilities, electrical, heating and air operations, all involved in commencement preparation alongside carpentry, moving and setup crews. While the week leading up to graduation can be hectic, Chandler said the process has become highly organized over time.
“I wouldn’t say there are any challenges, because we’ve done it so long,” Chandler said. “Everybody knows their role and what they’re supposed to do.”
Facilities management departments coordinate through meetings held throughout the semester and more frequently as commencement approaches. Chandler said much of the work focuses not only on setup, such as arranging chairs and preparing event spaces, but also resetting campus back to normal operations after ceremonies conclude.
Behind the broader coordination of campus readiness, Scott Stevens, director of landscaping and transportation, said commencement preparation is a long- term process that begins months in advance. In a statement to Elon News Network, he said that multiple facilities management departments coordinate to prepare campus spaces for events, with increased attention as May approaches.
“As we get to May, the plan goes into action,” Stevens wrote. “Each FM department will double-check areas, touching up any details missed. When the event is complete, FM will either reset the area for the next event or break down the area for normal business activities.”
For the grounds crew, the work is also personal. Rose said one of the most meaningful parts of commencement season is the energy that comes with students preparing to graduate and move on to what comes next.
As students prepare to leave campus, the landscaping team continues shaping the environment they will remember in photographs, ceremonies and final walks across campus lawns. For Rose, that cycle is one of the most meaningful parts of the job.
“You kind of see them grow up,” she said of students. “And then they’re gone, and a whole new batch comes in.”