Colleges plan in-person graduations
But state’s higher ed leaders say no promises for a return to normal in the fall
With graduation about two months away, Connecticut colleges and universities are planning for in-person, outdoor commencement ceremonies, but higher education leaders warn not to expect a complete return to pre-pandemic campus life in the fall.
With graduation about two months away, Connecticut colleges and universities are planning for multiple in-person, outdoor commencement ceremonies, instead of last year’s onlineonly events. But while the new plans aim to provide some level of normalcy, higher education leaders in the state say students and families should not expect a complete return to pre-coronavirus campus life next fall.
In an effort to reduce crowding at commencement, some schools are dividing students by fields of study, degree level or where they live in the campus community. They also announced students will be allowed only two guests each, and social distancing and mask-wearing will be required. Ceremonies will also be livestreamed online.
At Trinity College in Hartford, two outdoor graduation ceremonies will take place May 21. Students will continue to be tested for the coronavirus throughout the semester, and all guests must provide a negative COVID-19 test result or proof of vaccination. All commencement attendees will undergo symptom checks on graduation day. Friends and relatives traveling from out of state must follow Connecticut’s COVID-19 travel policies, and high-risk individuals “should strongly consider not attending,” Trinity President Joanne Berger-Sweeney wrote in a letter to students March 8. Nosick individuals may attend.
“We are making many changes to the event this year to be able to host an in-person event safely. ... More details will be forthcoming as planning progresses and we receive further guidance (from the state and others) on health and safety protocols,” she said. “Please also note that these plans are subject to change if conditions or mandates from local or state officials require.”
In the case of bad weather, ceremonies will shift to a virtual format. The Koeppel Community Sport Center, Trinity’s typical severeweather alternate site, does not allow for adequate social distancing, Berger-Sweeney explained.
Brendan Clark, a 22-yearold Trinity senior from Massachusetts, said he was surprised when the college announced plans for in-person ceremonies given that vaccinations may not be completed by the end of May, as well as the number of factors that could change between now and then.
“But it’s exciting nonetheless,” he added.
Since he lives off campus, Clark will participate in the afternoon ceremony, along with those who live on the north side of campus. Students who live on the south side will take part in the morning ceremony. With his family located outside Connecticut, Clark said it’s difficult to “chart out” what state and federal travel regulations will look like by graduation time. While he’s expecting his two tickets to go to his parents, Clark said it is possible his mother may not be vaccinated by late May, so the family is still discussing what to do.
Clark said he does consider the decision to hold in-person ceremonies “a risk,” even with all the safety protocols put in place.
“I feel a little privileged that we’re able to take that risk, knowing how difficult it’s been for a lot of other people. But I’m happy to have a capstone to my senior experience,” he said.
Graduation ceremonies for Quinnipiac University’s Class of 2021 will run from May 8-11 on the Mount Carmel Campus Quad in Hamden, with two to three separate ceremonies each day. Students will be grouped according to areas of study to allow for social distancing. Quinnipiac will also hold in-person ceremonies for the Class of 2020, who participated in a virtual ceremony last year, on May 15-16.
“Commencement is such an important celebration. It marks years of dedication and the hard work of our graduates. ... We are very happy that we’re able to do it on-ground this year,” said Bethany Carol Zemba, vice president and chief of staff at Quinnipiac.
Initially, Zemba said administrators were considering a hybrid ceremony, where students would walk across an indoor stage while their families watched remotely. But when Gov. Ned Lamont announced plans to relax restrictions on gatherings, the school shifted plans to allow for socially distanced, outdoor events with two guests per student. Unlike previous years, Quinnipiac will not host receptions after the ceremonies.
At UConn, current seniors as well as those who graduated last year were asked to complete a survey about whether or not they would participate in an in-person ceremony.
“The University is reviewing those survey results to create a final plan, and will share more information with the UConn community this month,” UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said, in a statement. “Even if the University decides to hold an in-person ceremony, whether it can take place will depend on the public health situation and state guidance in place this spring.”
Regardless of whether an in-person ceremony occurs, Reitz said UConn will be celebrating all Class of 2021 graduates at a live virtual ceremony scheduled for May 8.
In New Haven, Yale University’s commencement is scheduled for May 24, although confirmation will be based on public health conditions. In a notice, administrators said they “discourage guests from making any non-refundable travel arrangements until the university’s plans are confirmed.” Nearby, Southern Connecticut State University is planning to hold multiple commencement ceremonies similar to Quinnipiac and Trinity: in-person and outdoors at the Jess Dow Field, a football stadium, on May 18-19.
While other state universities have not released commencement plans, Leigh Appleby, spokesperson for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, said: “All of our institutions are planning on having an in-person commencement in some form. Most are expected to be outdoors, and all will follow strict public health guidance.”
Much ‘unknown’ about fall 2021
As colleges and universities begin to plan for the fall, administrators cautioned against expectations of an entirely normal semester. Vaccination rate and state guidelines will play key roles in determining what the coming school year will look like, they said.
Steve Kalb, a broadcast journalism professor at UConn, said he returned to his on-campus classroom for the first time in about a year on Tuesday. Kalb, who has taught at UConn for nearly 20 years, called the experience “strange.”
“There are not a lot of students visible ... and the place looks empty,” he said. “It was sort of a ‘wow moment.’ ”
Although Kalb was able to migrate his lessons to a remotesetting without much difficulty, hesaid meeting his students in-person for the first time was “a joy.”
Next fall, “I have every expectation of being back. I have no reason to believe that we’re not going to be back,” he said. “I suspect UConn will do whatever it takes to get as many people as it can safely back at school and in classrooms. ... I’m looking forward to seeing more students just walking around.”
The university changed policies Thursday to allow outdoor student performances and daytime guests inside residence halls, marking a first-time relaxation of coronavirus-related protocols, and in less than two weeks, students can begin signing up for fall 2021 classes. But while most courses are listed as in-person, Reitz said much remains unknown “regarding the continued impact of the pandemic.”
“Our goal is to support as much of an in-person classroom experience as possible for the fall, but we are ready to increase the number of online and hybrid offerings as needed to ensure community health and our compliance with state guidance,” she said.
Jason Rojas, whoserves as Trinity’s chief of staff and is majority leader of the state House of Representatives, said mask-wearing may continue into the fall.
“That’s something we’re obviously considering,” he said. “The other big question for us is, are we still going to be required to engage in social distancing, and if we’re not required, are we going to do it anyway because it’s in the best interest of public health?” While Trinity is moving back toward its usual academic calendar for next school year, Rojas said faculty and staff are preparing plans to operate in all learning models: remote, hybrid and in-person, just in case. The college also has to be conscious that many of its students come from all over the U.S. and abroad, which can further complicate health and safety policies.
With college students in Connecticut becoming eligible for vaccination May 3, “we’re hoping there’s an opportunity to send our students home with a vaccination, if they’re comfortable with getting one ... so that it’s less of an issue in the fall,” he said.
Zemba, the vice president and chief of staff at Quinnipiac, said: “We’ve learned a tremendous amount through this process, and we know what it takes to keep the community safe. We will do that based on what’s happening at that time with the health conditions.”
She added: “We’re going to be doing some education and communication about the benefits of being vaccinated. ... We’re really trying to encourage that, while also planning for what will look like a different semester, but not as drastic or dramatic as what we had to experience over the last year. We’re hopeful.”