The Tribune

THE 2020 commencement for University of The Bahamas may not have the traditional pomp and circumstance, but it will have an even more elevated significance for graduates who are closing one chapter of their lives and entering a new one during an unprecedented era.

UB has announced that its 2020 graduation ceremony will be a virtual event on Monday, June 29, at 4pm. The virtual ceremony will honour graduating seniors and celebrate their achievements in a manner that is safe and complies with national health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, UB said.

The 2020 class comprises approximately 500 students, UB said.

“Commencement is one of the most sacred and honourable observances in higher education. For us at UB, it is as much about building community and lauding perseverance and commitment as it is about marking the completion of an academic journey and affirming the rights and privileges of the degrees and diplomas for which they have studied and rightfully earned,” says UB president Dr Rodney Smith.

“This 2020 virtual commencement ceremony is no less significant because we will not be physically together. We will be together online in a space that has come to be just as vitally important as the physical.”

The ceremony will honour and celebrate graduates in New Providence and Grand Bahama and will pay special tribute to the indomitable spirit of the UB-North community, which despite the adverse impact of Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19, remains resilient.

UB initially announced that its 2020 commencement ceremony would be postponed to Fall 2020. However, that was before the subsequent support expressed for the virtual event, a first in the institution’s history.

“Understandably, many graduating seniors still want to experience the traditional rites of passage in which they walk across the stage and accepting their diplomas,” UB said. “The university is deliberating on how it can safely provide that experience while protecting and preserving the health of the university and the public. Members of the 2020 commencement class will be able to collect their diplomas and completion letters when the university is permitted to resume on-site operations.”

UB’s 2020 class president, Ericka Reckley-Rolle expressed excitement and enthusiasm about the resilience of UB grads given the extraordinary challenges. She also saluted their myriad achievements.

“The past several months have been a rough journey for all of us. Now the time has come to celebrate our graduates for their hard work and achievements,” said the nursing major.

The virtual ceremony will be accessible to audiences on the university’s website – www.ub.edu.bs – and its social media channels on June 29. It will also be accessible on demand thereafter.