BU to Hold In-Person Convocation for Three Years Worth of Grads
By Ronnie Kayla Neiman
The past two years have been a challenge for may reasons. Many normal and common things had to be moved to an online format to keep students, staff and faculty safe. That included graduation convocation ceremonies. The last two years have held their ceremonies virtually. This coming graduating class will be the first in years to walk across a stage to accept their degrees in person.
“As the culmination of your academic journey, Convocation is a special and meaningful moment for every student — and my personal favourite university day,” said BU President David Docherty. “I am delighted that, thanks to public health successes like vaccines, we will once again be donning caps and gowns, presenting degree parchments in person, and congratulating each of our grads in person… only this year we’ll still be cautious about hugs and handshakes.”
Convocation 2022 is scheduled for May 26 and 27 this year and has been expanded to four ceremonies. Grads from the Classes of 2020 and 2021, whose ceremonies were held virtually, are also invited back to share in the celebration, and must RSVP as soon as possible. All graduating students from the Class of 2022 should now have submitted their application to graduate. More information about the ceremonies is being regularly posted online at BrandonU.ca/Convocation. Grads from the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 must RSVP online to confirm their intent to attend no later than 4:30 p.m. on April 29, 2022. Details are being sent to the email addresses that BU has on file for them, or they can go to BrandonU.ca/Convocation/Previous-Grad.
Initially, Brandon University had not told previous graduates this when planning this year’s ceremony. A graduate of 2020 found this out by pure chance during a conversation with former co-workers at the university. He then proceeded to tell his graduating education year through their shared Snapchat group. The initial RSVP for the graduation ceremony went up by 97 students just through that conversation. It was only after this increase in applicants that the university website shared the news about the ceremonies. In fact, the Quill only learned about it two days before the university shared it because the anonymous education student shared the news with us. While the news not being shared with previous graduates during the last few years is a sore spot, it can be understood as trying to limit the amount of people in order to follow health orders.
What is the most bothersome, especially for previous graduating students in the education department, is that heir ceremony, whilst including 2020 and 2021 graduates, will be on May 26… a Thursday. Many students who have graduated from the education department have gone on to get teaching jobs. A job that has work hours on a Thursday because they are teachers in elementary/middle and high schools. Some may not be able to attend a ceremony they worked hard for because they have their own students expecting them to be there for them. Is this another attempt by the university to limit the numbers at the in-person ceremonies for public health, or are they just not aware of the problematic timing of that specific convocation ceremony?
Convocation will be held at the BU Healthy Living Centre, following all public health orders. It is one of the best-ventilated spaces on campus and physical distancing will be followed as much as practical for all participants. Masks will be fully supported and, while capacity is not currently limited in the HLC, the university is asking graduates to limit their guest list to those who are truly closest to them.