May 14, 2021

UOW to return to in-person graduation ceremonies

Students who were unable to graduate on campus last year encouraged to attend 2021 celebrations

The University of Wollongong (UOW) is working to return to in-person, COVID-safe graduation ceremonies this July, after all on-campus ceremonies scheduled for 2020 were scuttled by the global pandemic.

The July ceremonies will retain elements of a traditional graduation while adhering to the social distancing and COVID-safe guidelines and practices in place. Graduates who were unable to attend their ceremonies in 2020 will be able to attend their relevant faculty ceremony this year.

The July ceremonies, comprising the Faculty of Business and Law and the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, will be held from 21-23 July. From 2-3 November, ceremonies will be held for students from the Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities and the Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health. Details about December ceremonies will be available later this year.

Professor Theo Farrell, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), said the University was thrilled to be able to celebrate with graduates in person this year.

“Graduation is a time of celebration and recognition of our students,” Professor Farrell said. “We truly missed being able to hold those celebrations on campus in 2020, but we are excited to be able to return to in-campus ceremonies in just a few months.

“Our students have demonstrated tremendous resilience and strength in dealing with the challenges brought about by the global pandemic. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and can’t wait to see the impact that our graduates will have on the world.”

Students who are conferred in the Autumn Session 2021, as well as graduates who were unable to attend an in-person ceremony in 2020, will be offered the opportunity to attend an in-person ceremony.

The move to in-person graduation ceremonies is part of the University’s overall return to campus strategy, which will see more students return in for in-person classes in Spring Session and Trimester Three, creating a vibrant and welcoming environment at all UOW campuses.