Humboldt State University will be hosting a virtual graduation ceremony for this semester’s graduating students May 16, the same day the in-person ceremony would’ve been held at the Redwood Bowl.
The university shuttered its campus and shifted entirely to online instruction March 17 as fears mounted about the COVID-19 pandemic, and administrators have been working since to come up for a plan to celebrate student success from a distance at commencement.
The university will be putting together a video for each of its colleges with a message from President Tom Jackson Jr. and “others” congratulating students. In order to feel like a true graduation ceremony that highlights the achievements of its students, the university is requesting that graduating students submit a 10-second video saying their full name and an optional short message while wearing their caps and tassels, if they have them. Students have until May 1 to submit a video.
Students who choose not to submit a video will still be listed by name unless they send an email to grad@humboldt.edu requesting that their name not be displayed.
Faculty and staff are also encouraged to submit 10-second videos that will be available on the commencement website.
According to the site, HSU is still hoping to have an in-person ceremony for the class of 2020 in the future, “possibly next Spring.”
This article appears in Front Window.
