For the more than 70,000 students set to graduate from the University of Minnesota system schools this week, graduation will be conducted online just as their last two months of classes have been. University of Minnesota Crookston Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause said the virtual ceremony will start in the Twin Cities with the conferring of degrees before breaking off to the various campus or college ceremonies. “We’re starting out altogether,” said Holz-Clause. “That will be with President (Joan) Gabel and Regent (Kendall) Powell conferring the degrees. Then a short speaker which is Dr. (Michael) Osterholm who is one of the leading epidemiologists in the world talking and explaining about our current situation. From there, our students will go onto our videotaped messages for our students. Our Crookston Student Association President Greg Johnson and his successor will have some comments for all the students. Students have had the opportunity to submit some photos, so those will be running, and then students will have a surprise at the end from some of our faculty and staff members.”
UMC’s ceremony will celebrate it’s 465 graduates over three terms – Fall 2019, Spring 2020, and Summer 2020 – including nearly 200 on-campus students said, Holz-Clause. “It’s going to be a great celebration for our 465 students,” said Holz-Clause. “This represents graduates either from Fall 2019, this spring or who would graduate in the summer term of 2020. It’s a nice sized class, about 266 of those are online students, so this virtual stuff is pretty common for them. Then, we have about 199 that were on-campus students that will graduate.”
This year’s graduates represent 33 states, including Minnesota, as well as 22 countries, including the U.S., said Holz-Clause. “We have 21 countries that our students are from,” said Holz-Clause. “Most are from China, South Korea, and Brazil. And then we have students who are graduating from 32 other states and more than 300 of them call Minnesota home. It’s a virtual worldwide celebration. We know that a lot of those students from other states and countries are going to be logging in with their families, and in the case of our India and China students, it will be about 11 p.m. when they are logging on.”
Holz-Clause added she recently came across a quote from Winnie the Pooh, with Christopher Robin attempting to cheer Pooh up, saying it reminds her of the resiliency of this year’s seniors and everyone dealing with the challenges of COVID-19. “I know many of you have heard this before, but I think it becomes a motto or way that we all need to think to get through all of this,” said Holz-Clause. “Robin said to Pooh – you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think – and this year, in particular, has taught our students that.”
Tags:
