Commencement in the Age of COVID

[StillAWarrior]

I'm curious what schools are doing with this. We've got three graduating in the next month or so (one HS, one undergrad, and one grad) and we're seeing some variation. Some good; some bad. I'm very, very thankful that my kids will have in-person ceremonies -- each of them has said it's important to them.

I'd love to hear what others are doing -- including Marquette. Here's what we're seeing:

• High School - we don't know all the details yet, but I suspect it's going to be fairly similar to their usual ceremony. It's going to at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse which seats 20,000+. This is a change from the usual venue which is a theater on the U of Akron campus that seats about 3,000. Obviously, they're going to have us spread out. We don't know yet how many tickets will be available.
• Georgetown - they recently notified us that they will have an in-person commencement at Nationals Park. We're getting information in bits and pieces. Per DC rules it will be limited to two hours. We get two tickets. There will be no "traditional commencement stage" and no procession of graduates and faculty. It sounds to me like nobody is getting on the field. All undergraduates will be in the same ceremony. They will be recognized by name from their seats. It's not clear if they will be sitting as a group or if each graduate will be sitting with their family. They say that they will call each graduate by name and the name/picture will appear on the scoreboard. I'm very curious how they're going to pull this off. With only two hours to work with and roughly 2000 graduates, that's 3-4 seconds per graduate if literally nothing else is said. I tried saying my daughter's full name at a "regular" speed and it's roughly two seconds. If they are truly going to say every single name, it's going to be at least a solid hour even if they're saying the names really quickly. I strongly suspect it will be pre-recorded, so that should help a bit. At this point I have absolutely no idea if there is a commencement speaker.
• Utah - They are having separate ceremonies for each college at various locations over a several day period. My son's is in the football stadium and is two hours. He was allotted four free tickets. Apparently there also will be a pre-recorded university-wide commencement ceremony with Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz) delivering the keynote address. They have it listed for a specific time, but also say it will be available for later viewing. I assume it won't be available until that specific time. Interestingly, the pre-recorded event is scheduled to begin right as my son's specific college event is concluding in the stadium. We don't know if we will be allowed to stay in the stadium and watch it, or if we'll be asked to leave the stadium and watch it later.

As I said, we're grateful for the opportunity to celebrate with our kids. It seems that everyone is doing their best to plan special events under varying and trying circumstances.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

My high school Senior is having a graduation ceremony on June 10, but the details are still being worked out.
My daughter is also having a Senior Prom.  They are putting tents up in the school parking lot so it qualifies as an outside event. 

The news was reporting that Connecticut universities were having graduations with rules similar to Georgetown's.  These universities were also holding 2020 graduations within a week of the 2021 one.  Inviting all to who can return to please return for a formal ceremony.
Yale was the only exception.  They are having an in-person  ceremony for the students, but no guests allowed including parents and the event will be live-streamed.

[StillAWarrior]

...and the event will be live-streamed.

I neglected to mention that all the events will be live-streamed.

[Hards Alumni]

I remember almost nothing from my HS graduation ceremony.  It seemed so important at the time, but the older you get, you realize how silly of a thought that was.

If it is the greatest accomplishment in your life, I guess it makes sense to be attached to them.

[Warrior Code]

Donovan Mitchell? Not sure what his connection is other than he plays in the same city, but that's still kind of cool.

We're having an in-person ceremony for students only (grad and undergrad together) at the soccer stadium. It will be live streamed, plus a "virtual celebration" a few nights later.

("We" being IU McKinney/IUPUI)

[StillAWarrior]

I remember almost nothing from my HS graduation ceremony.  It seemed so important at the time, but the older you get, you realize how silly of a thought that was.

If it is the greatest accomplishment in your life, I guess it makes sense to be attached to them.

I'm the same. I was speaking with a colleague yesterday and found myself trying to remember if I walked across the stage at Marquette. I know we didn't at the morning one at the Bradley Center, but I have absolutely no recollection whether we walked later in the day at the one for CJPA. No idea at all. I'm not a fan of graduation ceremonies, but I know they're generally meaningful for the graduates. At the time, it is one of their greatest accomplishments in their life so it is special. As they accomplish and do more, it will fade in their memory like it has in ours.

[Billy Hoyle]

I'm the same. I was speaking with a colleague yesterday and found myself trying to remember if I walked across the stage at Marquette. I know we didn't at the morning one at the Bradley Center, but I have absolutely no recollection whether we walked later in the day at the one for CJPA. No idea at all. I'm not a fan of graduation ceremonies, but I know they're generally meaningful for the graduates. At the time, it is one of their greatest accomplishments in their life so it is special. As they accomplish and do more, it will fade in their memory like it has in ours.

I know I did for A&S and my wife did for Business. there was no separate ceremony for A&S, just walking across the stage set up on the AMU lawn. The Business ceremony was at the Milwaukee Theatre and there was a whole program with a speaker then grads walking across the stage.

[tower912]

I remember both high school and college graduation ceremonies.   I was the student speaker for the J school ceremony.   So I had to be sober and not hung over.

[Warrior Code]

I remember my high school and college graduations pretty well, but the commencement itself always seemed like a bigger deal for the family than me personally.

[muwarrior69]

I already had my first job lined up so I skipped the boring speeches and started my career. However, my Mom and Dad were disappointed.

[lostpassword]

I know I did for A&S and my wife did for Business. there was no separate ceremony for A&S, just walking across the stage set up on the AMU lawn. The Business ceremony was at the Milwaukee Theatre and there was a whole program with a speaker then grads walking across the stage.

Same for me. Class of 2000 A&S.  I think each major was given a time to show up in front of the AMU and that department head joined the A&S dean to handout diploma and photo op.  2001 I attended the engineering ceremony for some friends.  It was (I think) immediately following the BC stuff and was where the Wisconsin Center vaccine site is right now.

[dgies9156]

Southern Illinois University in Carbondale is having commencement ceremonies for its classes of 2020 and 2021 on May 8 and 9th. The ceremonies will be held at Saluki Stadium (there will be five of them), rain or shine. My son, who was graduated in December 2020, will attend and has been given four tickets. He copped four more by bartering with friends.

My actual commencement at at Marquette was less meaningful than senior week, which was the week between final exams and commencement. That's the week where they used to process tests, turn in grades and print diplomas. It was a week of parties for us seniors and we had one heck of a time saying goodbye to each other. The amazing thing is how many of those folks who were a regular part of my life at Marquette I never saw again. Favorite line of the day of commencement was when I came out with my degree, I held it up for my parents, looked at my Dad and said, "Hey Dad, want to see what $20,000 looks like?" My father got this sarcastic grin on his face and said, "yeah, tell me about it!"

The commencement that was most meaningful for me was when I earned my MBA in 1987. I didn't want to go at all, but a conspiracy of my wife and mother effectively got me there. I went because it was a celebration not just for me but for my wife, who really sacrificed while I went through grad school, and my Mom, who always had been committed to education (she was a kindergarten teacher) and was unbelievably proud that one of her children was receiving an advanced degree.

The real value of commencement is for families who worked so hard for their members to have the education and the resources to get through four years of a university. When we held a celebration dinner for my daughter when she was graduated, the first toast went to my wife, whose efforts really made it possible.

[#UnleashSean]

So "Hey Dad, want to see what $20,000 looks like?"

Cries in 2017 Tuition.

[Hards Alumni]

Southern Illinois University in Carbondale is having commencement ceremonies for its classes of 2020 and 2021 on May 8 and 9th. The ceremonies will be held at Saluki Stadium (there will be five of them), rain or shine. My son, who was graduated in December 2020, will attend and has been given four tickets. He copped four more by bartering with friends.

My actual commencement at at Marquette was less meaningful than senior week, which was the week between final exams and commencement. That's the week where they used to process tests, turn in grades and print diplomas. It was a week of parties for us seniors and we had one heck of a time saying goodbye to each other. The amazing thing is how many of those folks who were a regular part of my life at Marquette I never saw again. Favorite line of the day of commencement was when I came out with my degree, I held it up for my parents, looked at my Dad and said, "Hey Dad, want to see what $20,000 looks like?" My father got this sarcastic grin on his face and said, "yeah, tell me about it!"

The commencement that was most meaningful for me was when I earned my MBA in 1987. I didn't want to go at all, but a conspiracy of my wife and mother effectively got me there. I went because it was a celebration not just for me but for my wife, who really sacrificed while I went through grad school, and my Mom, who always had been committed to education (she was a kindergarten teacher) and was unbelievably proud that one of her children was receiving an advanced degree.

The real value of commencement is for families who worked so hard for their members to have the education and the resources to get through four years of a university. When we held a celebration dinner for my daughter when she was graduated, the first toast went to my wife, whose efforts really made it possible.

You got a hell of a deal.  Compare that number to what kids have to show their parents now!

[ZiggysFryBoy]

I had to finish up in summer school.  So at the business ceremony, everyone paraded across the stage and was given an empty diploma holder book thing.  Then you exited the stage and some one was standing there asking if you were a spring or August grad.  Spring grads got to go get the actual sheepskin, August grads had to just go sit down again.

My roommate, also a summer school finisher, and I did put our caps and gowns back.on for the walk to Marquette Hall in early August to get our actual walking papers.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

My sister graduated from Illinois State last year, there was not a ceremony but they were invited back this year if they wanted to partake in a ceremony.

Piggybacking what others have said, I graduated from MU in 2015 and I couldn’t even tell you the name of our commencement speaker.

Some nun I have no recollection of.

[cheebs09]

My sister graduated from Illinois State last year, there was not a ceremony but they were invited back this year if they wanted to partake in a ceremony.

Piggybacking what others have said, I graduated from MU in 2015 and I couldn’t even tell you the name of our commencement speaker.

Some nun I have no recollection of.

I was 11 and 12 and remember both. But that was because I knew about them before the speech. I love history, so was a fan of McCullough, although his speech was very dry. Then of course having Hank Aaron was awesome.

My brother had Bill Cosby, which looking back was not a great choice.

[dgies9156]

You got a hell of a deal.  Compare that number to what kids have to show their parents now!

If you assume a 4.0 percent inflation on average since I was graduated, the $20,000 spent on my education probably is equivalent to about $73,000 in today's money. By contrast, my cost per child at Southern Illinois, without extras was about $110,000. For Marquette, it's about $200,000 to $225,000 per child. Or, on the low end, about $127,000 above inflation.

This, folks, is one of my big concerns that I have as a contributor to Marquette.

[Galway Eagle]

I was 11 and 12 and remember both. But that was because I knew about them before the speech. I love history, so was a fan of McCullough, although his speech was very dry. Then of course having Hank Aaron was awesome.

My brother had Bill Cosby, which looking back was not a great choice.

I had the option to walk for the Bill Cosby one but decided to walk for my fifth year when I actually finished instead. That turned out to be a very good decision in hindsight.

[Billy Hoyle]

I had the option to walk for the Bill Cosby one but decided to walk for my fifth year when I actually finished instead. That turned out to be a very good decision in hindsight.

my wife had Mr. Rogers. Incredible speech and one that has inspired both of us to this day. She keeps a printed copy on her desk. I had a former Black Panther turned school choice advocate. I don't remember anything he said.