Spring 2021 convocation will be delivered virtually

This message was originally sent by president and vice-chancellor Feridun Hamdullahpur.

• Convocation ceremonies will take place in online formats in June 

• We have invited graduating students to take part in a survey about their virtual celebration preferences

• Up-to-date information will be shared via email and on our convocation website 

I have now sent an update message to all of our student who are eligible to graduate this spring to tell them that in-person convocation ceremonies will not take place and instead will be done virtually. Many of you, our staff and faculty, have asked me similar questions about the upcoming Spring Convocation and I wanted to inform you of our decision to not host an in-person ceremony.

This is, of course, a great disappointment for so many in our community, myself included. As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the well-being of our students, their families and our campus community remains our top priority. This decision was a very difficult one to make, as convocation is a chance to bring our whole community together to celebrate our students’ academic achievements.

This is a special milestone in the lives of our students, and we have launched a student survey to ensure that they have input into how we celebrate this momentous occasion. Once we have a chance to review this feedback, we will share our plans regarding delivery and ways that you can help celebrate our students.

Over the past year, we have witnessed the resiliency and compassion of our community in the face of unprecedented challenge. Thanks to each of you for working together to ensure the best academic experience for our students.

Up-to-date information is available on our convocation website. You can send questions to convocation@uwaterloo.ca.