"We all have great moments in our life. If we could remember it, probably our first birthday, first day at school, the birth of our first child, [and] graduating from University", proclaimed Professor Brigid Heywood, University of New England's Vice-Chancellor and CEO, in a video published by the University late last year.

Well, unfortunately for those UNE students who are due to graduate in April/May this year, their 1st birthday is not the only event they will be unable to remember. They can successfully add graduating from University to that list. 

Despite multiple universities in Australia all planning on holding on-campus graduation ceremonies mid this year, the University of New England announced on Tuesday the 23rd of March that they have decided to cancel their 2021 April/May graduation ceremony due to ‘COVID-19 restrictions’.

This comes as a massive shock to many students who were hoping to walk upon the stage at graduation after many years of late nights, brain strains and hard work. Yet to make matters worse, the cancellation of graduation sends an even bigger shockwave to some after staff from the University of New England told a number of students that the 2021 April/May Graduation would indeed be happening on campus.  

The excuse 'due to COVID-19 restrictions' is a genuine one, yet it seems implausible, and the Universities logic is laced with contradictions. On the 22nd of February 2021, Bridgid Heywood and her University boasted about having hosted "Almost 500 new on-campus students [at] orientation activities as Orientation-Week kicked off on Monday, 22 February 2021". The students were graced with an official welcome and smoking ceremony along with an academic procession on the lawns of Booloominbah (which looked very similar to that of a graduation ceremony).

Furthermore, Heywood gloated about welcoming "A further 600 continuing college students", on top of the already 500 new arrivals. “We are very much looking forward to welcoming our new students to our beautiful campus,” Vice-Chancellor and CEO, Professor Brigid Heywood said.“It’s been very quiet since the majority of our students had to return home in March 2020, with none of the vitality and energy you usually experience on a campus with students out and about.”

Okay, of course, Heywood and the University want to keep their “staff, students and region safe", as mentioned in a tweet by a University representative late last week. But my question is, why then host 500 students from across all areas of Australia at "an academic procession on the lawns of Booloominbah", if the safety of your staff, students and region is so paramount? My second question would be, why then not host graduation for the students who have given hours of their, time and money to your University?

With COVID-19 restrictions due to ease on (Today) Monday the 29th of March at 12.01 am, using COVID-19 restrictions as justification for cancelling the April/May Graduation ceremony is not a valid excuse, especially on the back of the university’s recent actions and proceedings.

Over the past 15 months, we have missed too many "great moments in our life". Drought, Bushfires, COVID, now floods. To merely graduate on campus would shine a ray of solace on these tougher times...

Help us get our graduation back by signing this petition.