Students react to Cardiff University’s virtual graduation proposal

Lots of people aren’t very happy…


In a statement sent to  students on Monday morning, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University, Claire Morgan, said that they are “working through various options” to celebrate graduation. This includes an “opportunity for a virtual celebration this summer.”

Information for final-year students regarding the ‘safety net’ policy and the Virtual Graduation

The idea has been met with widespread criticism from final-year students, who took to the Facebook group Overheard at Cardiff University to discuss the topic. Several final-year students commented that they would not join the 2020 Graduation online ceremony if it were to take place. One argued that they did not pay “all that money” completing a degree to have an online graduation, and that they would “rather wait until another time to do it in person.”

One person commented: “If this is the final thing they are offering for a graduation I’ll be so disappointed” whilst another individual went so far as to call the situation an “absolute joke.”

 

These responses came after a student posted in the Facebook group asking how others felt about the virtual graduation. The post was later edited, with him calling for students to email the Vice-Chancellor regarding the situation. He has constructed an email template for students to send in protest of the online graduation that ends “I implore you to not consider a virtual graduation. No student deserves that.”

However, the university has since responded on their Twitter account with the “clarification” that students would still be getting a physical graduation in addition to the virtual one.

The tweet states that planning for the physical graduation is “ongoing.”

A Cardiff University spokesperson said: “To be absolutely clear and for the avoidance of doubt: students will have the opportunity to graduate in person when it becomes safe to hold larger-scale in-person events again.”

“Because of the coronavirus crisis, graduation ceremonies have been postponed until next year with virtual celebrations taking place this year so that students have an opportunity to mark receiving their award.”

The spokesperson added, “These virtual celebrations are in addition to the full ceremony which will be rescheduled to a later date. Planning is ongoing and full details will be shared with all final year students in mid-June.”

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