coe-staff: UO and COE Commencement Updates

[Lisa Fortin]

Hello,

Below is the information the UO sent out to graduating students today.  We have a number of students who are graduating in different terms and may not have received the email, so I'm forwarding it to all COE students and staff.

If you wish to participate in the UO events and receive the special celebration box they are mailing out, you must opt in. They are only including those students who opt in and once the deadlines have passed there will be almost no flexibility to change things, so please do this as soon as possible if you wish to participate.  See how to opt-in to all the UO activities in the email below.

There is no need to opt-in to the COE Ceremony as that will be virtual and available to everyone.  We will send out the link to watch that prior to graduation.  However, if you want a physical copy of our printed program, which features the names of all of our graduating students, you need to fill out the COE survey here by May 10 and it will be mailed to you after graduation:

COE Printed Program Request<https://oregon.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5AVPZjurYjO6KSG>

Undergraduates, don't forget to apply for your degree, which is different that opting to participate in commencement.  In order to receive a degree from the UO this spring, undergraduates must apply by April 25, 2021, via DuckWeb<https://duckweb.uoregon.edu/>.


Lisa Fortin
Director, Events and Student Recruitment
UO College of Education
541-346-1607



Dear students,

I hope this email finds you healthy and doing well. Graduation is such an exciting and important milestone for each of you and I am writing with an update to our spring commencement plans.

This year's pandemic has again required us to make changes to how we have traditionally celebrated our graduating class. While we will not be able to safely host a large in-person event, I am pleased to announce that we have been given approval to add two in-person activities for the class of 2021: the Grad Parade and a Stage Procession. Both of these activities are for 2021 graduates only and will require you to opt in and follow all COVID-19 safety protocols in order to participate. As I mentioned in February<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/t.e2ma.net/click/qggigd/ao3gzj/i2f2pr__;!!C5qS4YX3!RcidU-_8NLQce4W7cj2hkcNnUrMZLQvS-AuBBWqWjWGJjLq35-xShL9dyYjEDLj8Vd4$>, this year's main commencement celebration and school and college ceremonies will continue to be virtual. This has not changed.

Our in-person activities will take place at the Eugene campus on the afternoon of June 12. Graduates who opt-in to the in-person activities can participate in the Grad Parade followed by a Stage Procession. The Grad Parade is an iconic part of each year's commencement day. Students will parade down 13th Avenue from Matthew Knight Arena toward the Memorial Quad. Immediately following the Grad Parade, graduates will then proceed to a designated area on the Memorial Quad where they will cross a stage as their name is read aloud and then have their photograph taken. The Stage Procession will be livestreamed so families and friends can watch online. More information on all of this year's in-person and virtual commencement activities is available on the commencement website<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/t.e2ma.net/click/qggigd/ao3gzj/yug2pr__;!!C5qS4YX3!RcidU-_8NLQce4W7cj2hkcNnUrMZLQvS-AuBBWqWjWGJjLq35-xShL9dyYjECqoXRFI$>.

Opt in and Register to Graduate<https://oregon.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6EfSpgbxifMbvUO>

Our ability to offer these in-person activities is contingent on favorable county health conditions related to COVID-19 and required approval by the Oregon Health Authority. While we are extremely excited to offer these opportunities, we are responsible for the health and safety of the campus community and all involved. Should conditions take a turn for the worse between now and Commencement Day (June 12), the university reserves the right to cancel these events with little or no notice. We are doing our very best to offer options to celebrate our 2021 graduates while also following guidance from health officials in Oregon. Family and friends will not be permitted in the Memorial Quad for the Stage Procession and photo opportunity, and we recommend people do not travel to Eugene for these events due to the continued spread of COVID-19.

We know a virtual commencement, even with the addition of in-person activities, is not the same as our traditional Commencement Day. We sincerely hope the class of 2021, as well as the class of 2020, will join us in person next year. Sometime this fall we will send both groups of graduate's information about our commitment to celebrate both classes at Commencement 2022.

Lastly, I want to say I continue to be impressed by your resilience, positive attitudes, and perseverance through this pandemic. While I know this is certainly difficult for so many reasons, I am inspired by your ability to push through and work toward this tremendous achievement. Congratulations again!

Sincerely,

R Kevin Marbury, PhD
Vice President for Student Life

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.uoregon.edu/pipermail/coe-staff/attachments/20210420/bbbd320c/attachment.html>