Spring 2021 Social Distanced Outdoor Graduation (Graduation for Senior Classes 2020 and 2021)
Graduating from college is an important milestone in your life. After working hard for four years and dedicating your time to your studies, you are finally able to receive your undergraduate degree. This degree is more than just a piece of paper, it's our future, and this accomplishment should be properly celebrated. A graduation ceremony is also about the memories you get to create as well as the sense of pride you feel after being recognized for your success. These are just some of the reasons why the graduating classes at Marymount California University should have an in-person social distanced outdoor graduation.
However, with all of that being said, we do understand why things would have to be different for the graduating classes this year. This pandemic has been challenging for many people and has put a large damper on students and faculty. We understand that times have changed and that the entire world is dealing with this epidemic. Since this year has been twice as difficult, we should be given the opportunity for a better graduation than just an online platform. While following the California Department of Public Health's guidelines, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and the CDC regulations this is a possible option that should be considered. We also believe this is a fair request since our school's size is much smaller compared to most, and there is plenty of outdoor space on campus for this option. We (the students of Marymount California University) want to propose the option for an outdoor social distanced graduation where students would be:
- Spaced 6 feet apart from one another
- Required to wear a face mask during the entire duration of the event
- Seating would be arranged outside on the grassy areas of the campus or the parking lots
Some flexible ideas would include:
- Students being allowed to invite 1 family member/friend to the event or have the event posted online for family/friends to watch
-Breaking up the graduation by hosting a smaller number of students at different times would allow the campus to accommodate the number of students and make it easier to follow the Covid 19 regulations. Options for breaking up students could include:
- Separate graduations for the different classes
- Grouping different majors together
- Going in alphabetical order
We thank you for your consideration.