UToledo Ready to Celebrate Class of 2020 With Virtual Commencement
By Meghan Cunningham : May 7th, 2020
During this time when we cannot come together in the Glass Bowl to recognize the Class of 2020, The University of Toledo is bringing the celebration to graduates online through their computers and phones.
The Celebrating Success online ceremony will go live Saturday, May 9, with digital graphic displays for each graduate, video messages of congratulations from UToledo leaders, and a collection of social media posts from graduates and their families celebrating at home using #UToledo20.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t have a traditional ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that won’t stop us from recognizing the amazing accomplishments of our graduates who really persevered to complete their degree programs during these unprecedented circumstances,” said Dr. Karen Bjorkman, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.
UToledo created camera effects for Instagram and Facebook so that when you take a photo with your mobile phone, it places you in front of the University Hall tower wearing a graduation cap.
The celebration will take place the same day the University had planned for the in-person event for undergraduate and graduate candidates for degrees, but there is no set time to participate. The virtual commencement will be available beginning at 9 a.m., and graduates and their families can go to utoledo.edu/commencement to celebrate at their convenience.
There are 2,943 candidates for degrees to be recognized, including 2,077 candidates for bachelor’s and associate’s degrees and 866 candidates for doctoral, education specialist and master’s degrees.
The College of Law will hold a virtual commencement Sunday, May 10, and the College of Medicine and Life Sciences will celebrate its graduates during a virtual commencement Friday, May 15.
A celebration toolkit is available for graduates to show their Rocket pride during their at-home celebrations.
UToledo created camera effects for Instagram and Facebook so that when you take a photo with your mobile phone, it places you in front of the University Hall Tower wearing a graduation cap. Facebook frames with a banner in blue or gold that reads UToledo Class of 2020 also are available.
The celebration toolkit also includes posters that can be printed at home to display in graduates’ yards or windows or hold during a photo or video posted on social media. A 2020 spring commencement program also is available to download.
UToledo has been celebrating the Class of 2020 leading up to commencement with daily features of graduating students since April 13, and by compiling video messages from family members of graduates, as well as alumni, faculty and staff, celebrating the graduates’ accomplishments.
The celebration toolkit, celebration messages and graduate feature stories are all available online at utoledo.edu/commencement.
Graduates who planned to participate in the spring commencement ceremonies also are invited to participate in the University’s fall commencement ceremony planned Saturday, Dec. 12, in Savage Arena.