Shifting course from the original plan of having a physical graduation ceremony in the fall, Imperial Valley College administrators announced their decision to host a virtual graduation ceremony on July 30.
Imperial Valley College closed its campus to students March 16 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
A July 28 press release from the college stated that when university officials made the decision to close the campus, they had no clear indication as to when it would be possible to hold a traditional ceremony and that is why IVC administrators made the decision to host a virtual commencement.
The ceremony will be streamed on IVC’s website at 4 p.m. July 30 and a link will be sent to all graduates, college public information officer Elizabeth Espinoza said.
“We understand nothing can replace an in-person commencement ceremony; however, we know that there will be an opportunity for us to celebrate the accomplishments of our 2020 graduates when it is safe for them, their families, and the community to do so. We commit to celebrating and honoring our graduates in a manner they truly deserve,” stated IVC President and Superintendent Martha Garcia in the press release.
“The graduating class of 2020 has shown tremendous resiliency and they will continue to persevere and achieve success. Congratulations class of 2020,” Garcia stated.
The press release also mentioned that IVC hosted two other events to honor graduates in a manner in conjunction with local health guidelines. “Regalia Picture Day” took place on June 25 and June 29 and Graduation Recognition Week happened July 13 through 16.
Every graduate will reportedly receive their own personalized content as a gift from the college, the release states. Graduates are encouraged to share their pictures on social media with family and friends using the hashtags #GradAWAYtion and #MoveTheTassel.