The University of North Georgia held a socially distanced commencement for its spring and summer graduates last month.
Anna Brown, the executive director of university events, detailed the following important steps in keeping participants safe from COVID:
- Small groups: Graduates signed up for time slots so only nine families participate at one time. Each session was attended by 45 people: Nine graduates and 36 guests.
- Safety: Families checked in one at a time and received University of North Georgia face coverings, a celebration bag with programs, hand clappers, hand sanitizer, and university stickers. Organizers assigned each family to a taped-off box for social distancing. Everyone inside the building was required to wear masks.
- Photo opportunities: The university place backdrops and mascot cutouts outside each entrance point.
- VIP treatment: Before each graduate was announced, the student and their family moved into a VIP box at the front of the stage. They celebrated their graduate and then followed them out of the arena.
- A present president: President Bonita Jacobs was on hand for all 40 mini-ceremonies spanning 13 hours over two days.
- Support: Staff cheered for each graduate and family as they exited the building and made their way back to their cars.
UB’s coronavirus page offers complete coverage of the impacts on higher ed.
