UC Merced set to hold virtual 2020 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday
Earler this year, the coronavirus pandemic forced UC Merced to postpone in-person commencement ceremonies.
While graduates won’t be able to physically walk across the stage to collect their diplomas, UC Merced has found another way to commemorate the success of the Class of 2020.
The university will host a fully virtual commencement ceremony this Saturday to recognize the more than 1,500 candidates who have registered to participate.
“We are proud of our graduates and especially proud of their resilience in these challenging times,” said Interim Chancellor Nathan Brostrom.
“Many of our graduates will be the first in their families to earn college degrees, and while we look forward to getting together in person to celebrate again when it is safe to gather, our graduates and their families deserve public recognition of their accomplishments now.”
Graduates and their families will be able to watch the ceremony from the safety of their own homes as the ceremony is streamed starting 10 a.m. on the commencement webpage, as well as on the campus’ social media channels.
“We acknowledged that some students may not be able to return to campus for a postponed ceremony, so we wanted to provide an opportunity for them to experience commencement,” said Trisha Koenig, assistant director of protocol and special events.
“With so much still unknown and no idea when we could hold an in-person ceremony, it was clear we needed to start planning a virtual ceremony right away.”
The virtual ceremony, which was prerecorded using green-screen technology, will include an address from Brostrom, along with Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Gregg Camfield.
Christopher Ingle, who is a double-major in English and Global Arts Studies, will represent the class of 2020 as the student guest speaker. Ingle recorded his speech from his home in Winton.
Closed captioning of the ceremony will be available in both English and Spanish.
“Regardless of where we celebrate, we are filled with pride for what our graduates have worked so hard to achieve,” Brostrom said. “While it won’t be what they were expecting when they started their journeys at UC Merced, we hope to make it memorable.”
This story was originally published May 12, 2020 at 5:00 PM.
