The class of 2020 will receive an in-person commencement ceremony in fall, UCLA announced in an email Tuesday.
To curb COVID-19 cases at the start of the pandemic, Chancellor Gene Block announced March 18, 2020 that individuals in UCLA College from class of 2020 would receive a virtual commencement ceremony. The virtual commencement ceremony was held on June 12, 2020.
Following the announcement, students started a petition to postpone the graduation ceremonies rather than shifting it to a virtual format. UCLA later polled graduating students through MyUCLA to get input on postponing graduation.
Planning for the fall graduation ceremonies will take into account the feedback from the UCLA class of 2020 alumni survey posted in spring 2020, UCLA administrators said in the email.
Undergraduates and graduates from all college departments and the International Institute programs will be invited to the in-person commencement ceremonies as long as they completed their degrees in fall 2019, winter 2020, spring 2020 and summer 2020. Individuals who graduated in fall 2020 and received approval for a special inclusion petition will also be eligible.
All graduates will be offered four free tickets for family and friends and depending on the indoor location on campus, more tickets may be offered, said administrators.
Every member of the class of 2020 will be invited to all commencement ceremonies but there will be no ceremonies held for individual departments within the College and the UCLA International Institute, UCLA administrators added in the email.
There will be the large commencement ceremony where graduates are individually recognized, as well as smaller celebrations with faculty from their respective academic division, UCLA administrators added. The university also plans to model the ceremonies after smaller ceremonies held prior to the pandemic.
The fall ceremonies will be held indoors on campus during weekends and will be livestreamed, the email read. The operations will depend on campus safety guidelines and there may be restrictions from the California Department of Public Health, the email added. Graduates and guests may need to meet a vaccination requirement or have a health waiver.
“What we want most is for you to gather with us at one of these ceremonies with your family and friends. That was our promise to you in spring 2020, and we intend to honor you in this way,” UCLA administrators said.
The College will make another announcement on June 22 about specific dates for commencement, how to buy tickets and other information.
