Miles Community College is moving forward with plans for the 2020 graduating class commencement ceremony. While students will still officially complete their courses and earn their degrees on Saturday, May 2 as planned, the school has scheduled a virtual celebration ceremony on Saturday, May 23 to celebrate their accomplishments.
MCC transitioned to remote learning on March 18, and like many institutions around the country, made the determination to continue remote delivery through the end of the spring semester ending Friday, May 1. The decision to cancel an in-person commencement ceremony was made shortly after the transition, when group gathering limitations over COVID-19 concerns made it clear that such a large gathering would not be possible.
“It’s been an eventful semester,” says Erin Niedge, Dean of Enrollment Management and Educational Support Services. “We are happy to be able to offer a form of celebration for our graduates, even though we won’t see them in person. While it won’t be quite the same as a face to face ceremony, we still want to celebrate those students who have worked so hard and succeeded this semester, despite all of the changes.”
The virtual commencement celebration will include video and photos of the graduating students accessible via specific online platforms, with sharing capabilities enabled across social media sites. Diplomas, caps, and gowns will be mailed directly to students upon the regularly scheduled graduation date. While no commencement speaker is scheduled for the virtual ceremony, video of faculty and staff will be recorded and shared during the celebration.
The Pinning Ceremony for the 2020 MCC Nursing Class, scheduled to have been held May 1, has been postponed until larger gatherings are permitted. Additional information will be made available once the event can be scheduled.
