U of T to host 'virtual' spring convocation ceremony, celebrate graduates at in-person events later in year
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that has upended life around the world, the ÖŰżÚζSM plans to host a âvirtualâ convocation ceremony this spring while academic divisions can make preparations to celebrate graduates with in-person events once itâs safe to do so.
On Friday, U of T President Meric Gertler communicated the two-part plan .
He said the virtual convocation ceremony, to be held on or before June 2, will incorporate the core elements of a traditional ceremony, and that the various in-person graduation celebrations to follow sometime after Sept. 1 would include many of the familiar elements, from graduate processions in full academic regalia to graduation speakers.
âThe ÖŰżÚζSM, like its counterparts across the globe, has had to implement unprecedented measures in order to slow the spread of this potentially deadly illness,â President Gertler told U of T News. âBut we also recognize that convocation is an important milestone in studentsâ lives, especially those students who have overcome adversity to pursue an education.
âThere can be little doubt the class of 2020 has been forced to demonstrate its resilience in recent weeks and we want to make sure we can come together as a community to mark their achievements.â
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide surpassed one million this week as many countries, including Canada, braced for a surge of patients that threatens to overwhelm local hospitals. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Wednesday that, based on expert projections, âthere is very little separating what we will face here in Ontario from the devastation weâve seen in Italy and Spain.â Eileen de Villa, Torontoâs medical officer of health, has told residents that current guidelines â on physical distancing and staying home as much as possible â could be in place for months.
U of Tâs virtual convocation will involve both President Gertler and Chancellor Rose Patten. The chancellor will confer the degrees to graduates in absentia and parchments will be couriered to the class of 2020 over the course of the next few weeks following the ceremony.
âWe are exceptionally proud of our graduating students,â Patten said. âWe know how important convocation is for them and their families. We also know this is not what they had thought convocation would be like, but we hope the graduation ceremonies to be held at a later date will provide them with a fitting celebration.â
The ceremony will take place in Convocation Hall and will include opening and closing statements in Latin, the singing of the national anthem and other fixtures of convocation such as the gold-plated silver mace representing the universityâs history and authority.
Then, once the threat of COVID-19 has safely passed, academic divisions can proceed to honour the class of 2020 with in-person graduation events that will have many of the core elements of the traditional ceremony, including a graduate procession in academic regalia, congratulatory remarks and graduation speakers.
U of T is just one of several universities, including the University of British Columbia and Harvard University, who have announced they will move to virtual convocation ceremonies and other arrangements.
Christopher Yip, dean of U of Tâs Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, said the faculty is planning to host an event that will bring together graduating students across different engineering streams. About 1,300 engineering students are expected to graduate this spring.
Having graduated from U of T himself with a bachelorâs degree in chemical engineering, Yip said he understands the importance of the ritual for students.
âEveryone is learning to adapt, pivot and be flexible and resilientâ in the face of the challenges posed by COVID-19, Yip said.
âWeâre trying to make lemonade out of lemons. This opens up other opportunities for building community in a different way.â
, Dean Melanie Woodin acknowledged the work and dedication they have put into earning their degrees. She said the faculty is committed to âfinding a good and meaningful wayâ to mark the milestone in studentsâ lives.
She told U of T News that the Faculty of Arts & Science is working closely with the seven colleges on the St. George campus to organize graduation ceremonies that incorporate U of Tâs long-standing traditions and give graduates, as well as their friends and family, a chance to celebrate the completion of degrees.
âWeâre hearing a lot from students that theyâve been excited about their graduation for years â even before they arrived at U of T,â Woodin said. âWeâve heard how they and their families have sacrificed, and how the thought of marking this milestone achievement at the end of their degree has kept them going through difficult times.â
She said the facultyâs graduation ceremonies would stay true to U of T convocation traditions and that students would be given enough notice to plan a return trip to campus.
âWeâre incredibly proud of our students for their resilience during this difficult time and Iâm personally very excited to congratulate each one of them individually at our graduation ceremony,â she said.
At U of T Scarborough, Vice-President and Principal Wisdom Tettey said the campus is similarly working on plans to celebrate graduating students.
âWe share the view, which has been clearly expressed by our students, that convocation is a culminating highlight of university experience â one that I know my faculty and staff colleagues also look forward to every year,â he said. âWe want to make sure that the hard work, sacrifices and accomplishments of all our graduating students, their families and all those who have supported them are recognized.
âWhile it is difficult to make concrete plans because of the uncertainty posed by the pandemic, we are actively investigating alternative plans to honour the class of 2020.â
The same is true for U of T Mississauga, where Acting Vice-President and Principal Ian Orchard is looking to organize the campusâs own in-person celebration.
âWe know how important a graduation event is to our students, families, friends and professors so that everyone can proudly share such a joyous milestone,â Orchard said. âOver the next few months, we will be looking at various venues and appropriate timing to ensure our UTM community can gather together safely to mark such a significant passage in our studentsâ lives.â
In his letter, President Gertler thanked U of T students for the way theyâve handled the disruption caused by COVID-19.
âThe past few weeks have been extremely difficult for our community, and perhaps especially for our students,â he wrote. âI want to take this opportunity to thank you â for your dedication, your commitment, your perseverance, your support of one another, and the many contributions you continue to make to the entire ÖŰżÚζSM community.â