Source: University of Canterbury
10 July 2020
The University of Canterbury is hosting two special Graduation Celebrations in September for hundreds of graduates who missed out on graduating in person in April due to the pandemic lockdown.
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About 1200 UC students graduated in absentia during lockdown, instead of at the university’s traditional April Graduation ceremonies. This image is from one of UC’s December 2019 Graduation Ceremonies.
The University of Canterbury (UC) is hosting two special Graduation Celebrations in September for hundreds of graduates who missed out on graduating in person in April due to the pandemic lockdown.
To make up for the Covid-cancelled Graduation ceremonies, which affected around 1200 graduands, there will be two Graduation Celebrations on Tuesday 1 September (instead of the usual four or April ceremonies over two days).
The Graduation Celebrations will be held at the Christchurch Town Hall, in Kilmore Street, with the traditional graduation procession through Christchurch’s CBD before each ceremony, says the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Professor Catherine Moran.
Professor Moran says the university is thrilled to be able to celebrate the accomplishments of the UC graduates who weren’t able to graduate in person in April due to the cancelation of all mass gatherings and nationwide Covid-19 lockdown.
“We will have about 650 graduates, including 67 international students, who will ‘procesh’ [walk through town in a graduation parade] and walk across the stage at the Christchurch Town Hall over one morning and one afternoon ceremony,” she says. “The main difference between this celebration and a typical graduation ceremony is the graduates won’t receive their physical degrees or diplomas, which were mailed to them in absentia.”
About 1200 UC students graduated in absentia during lockdown, instead of at the university’s traditional April Graduation ceremonies.
The University of Canterbury’s annual December Graduation Ceremonies are scheduled for 16 and 18 December 2020.
Graduation Celebrations
- Tuesday 1 September 10am – College of Arts, College of Engineering, Doctorates (all PhDs will graduate in the morning ceremony, regardless of College). UC Arts Adjunct Professor Ken Daniels, a Litt.D graduate, will be the speaker for the morning ceremony.
- Tuesday 1 September 2pm – College of Education, Health & Human Development, College of Science, College of Business & Law.
Procession
Ahead of each Graduation Celebration, there will be a procession from the Arts Centre – UC’s original town site for a century until the 1970s move to Ilam. Further information about the procession will be available on UC’s website and in the Graduation Handbook, which will be emailed to graduates with their tickets.
The December 2019 Graduation ceremonies marked the return of UC graduands to the central city. After a nine-year absence, UC’s end-of-year graduands for 2019 were able to take part in the traditional graduation processions through the city’s streets.
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Ahead of each Graduation Celebration, there will be a procession from the Arts Centre – UC’s original town site for a century until the 1970s move to Ilam. This image is from one of UC’s December 2019 Graduation processions from the old town site to the Christchurch Town Hall.
