AKRON, Ohio — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a story published on Feb. 18, 2021.
On Thursday, the University of Akron (UA) announced that it will bring back in-person commencement ceremonies this spring, after canceling graduation events last year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The school says that it currently plans to hold four smaller ceremonies over several days in the first week of May in an effort to adhere to social distancing guidelines and coronavirus protocols. The commencements will be held May 7-9, and UA will hold a special ceremony for graduates of the class of 2020 who did not get an event.
“We are extremely pleased to be able to provide an in-person celebration for our graduates and their families,” said school President Gary L. Miller. “We realize how important a milestone this is in the lives of our graduates, and it was important for us to be able to deliver on our promise to offer an in-person event as soon as we were permitted to do so.”
The school says that the ceremonies will be held outdoors at the InfoCision Stadium and UA expects to give each student four tickets to family and friends, and the events will be live-streamed for those who cannot attend. The guests will also be seated in pods to comply with Ohio's current COVID-19 guideline.
UA Law students will receive a separate ceremony held on May 16.
Editor's note: the video in the player below is from a story published on March 3, 2021.