How NYU Cut Regalia Busywork by Switching to Tassel

For NYU Langone - Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences taking ownership of their own commencement ceremonies in 2025 meant inheriting a process built on spreadsheets, manual data entry, and a lot of double‑checking. Two years later, a partnership with Tassel changed that.

From Spreadsheets to Seamless

Before Tassel, regalia ordering meant staff manually collecting student sizing information, compiling it into Excel, and submitting it to Herff Jones by a hard deadline. "We had to double and triple check that we had everybody's information correct," recalled Kristina Diminich, Program Manager at NYU Langone Health. Version control was a constant hazard. Who has what version of the spreadsheet? Neither students nor staff had any real‑time visibility into orders or fulfillment.

When Tassel introduced regalia fulfillment, Vilcek was ready. Already using the platform for student planning, stage crossing, and guest ticketing, the switch wasn't a lift. It was a natural extension. "We knew if we did the regalia with you guys, we would minimize work on our end and it would be more seamless."

What Actually Changed

The administrative burden shifted dramatically. Students ordered their own regalia directly through the RSVP process, with no staff chasing down sizes, no manual data entry, and no spreadsheets to reconcile. "I didn't have to follow the students and be like, what's your size?... I didn't have to then go put that to an Excel sheet and send it to Herff Jones by a certain point."

Real‑time dashboard visibility replaced the guesswork. Kristina could see who had ordered, who hadn't, and follow up proactively without leaving the platform. "I like the tracking so that I could keep on top of them." The result was one less operational burden during an already demanding season.

What Early Adopters Help Us See

No new product launches perfectly, and Vilcek's experience as an early adopter surfaced a few areas Tassel is actively working to improve.

During the regalia ordering process, some students were inadvertently kicked out of their RSVP form to complete their purchase, then had to return to finish the main form. A handful didn't make it back without a follow‑up. Faculty regalia also still required a manual Excel sheet this cycle, recreating the same friction the student‑side process had eliminated. And regalia order data currently lives separately from the main graduate data download, requiring manual consolidation.

None of these were dealbreakers, but they are the kind of real‑world signals that matter. Solutions are already in progress and will be rolled out ahead of the next cycle, making the experience even more seamless for every school on the platform.

Shaping What Comes Next

That willingness to listen is part of what makes the partnership work. "Tassel is a very comfortable company to work with... we're used to your level of customer service, the ease of using your software, and the new developments you guys have coming up."

Asked if she'd recommend Tassel to another school: "I would, because I feel like you guys can adjust to different needs."

Tassel is changing the game for graduation fulfillment and its partners like Vilcek who help us get there. Together, we're redefining what the graduation experience can look like for students and the institutions that celebrate them.

If you’re interested in trying Tassel for regalia fulfillment, you can request a demo here.