Brandon University Convocation will be held in person this spring

After two years of virtual ceremonies, Brandon University graduates will once again be able to walk across the Convocation stage and receive their degree parchment in person this year.

“As the culmination of your academic journey, Convocation is a special and meaningful moment for every student — and my personal favourite university day,” said BU President David Docherty. “I am delighted that, thanks to public health successes like vaccines, we will once again be donning caps and gowns, presenting degree parchments in person, and congratulating each of our grads in person… only this year we’ll still be cautious about hugs and handshakes.”

Convocation 2022 is scheduled for May 26 and 27 this year and has been expanded to four ceremonies. Grads from the Classes of 2020 and 2021, whose ceremonies were held virtually, are also invited back to share in the celebration, and must RSVP as soon as possible.

“We always promised our grads that they would be included in a special way the very next time we were able to host them in person again,” said BU Registrar Andrea McDaniel, whose office helps lead Convocation planning. “Our virtual Convocation ceremonies were meaningful commemorations of unusual years, and we learned some new lessons from them that we’re going to continue to apply to future Convocations.”

One example is the commissioned original artwork, originally produced for Class of 2020 grads as a reminder of the year’s interruption. A second original piece was commissioned for Class of 2021 grads due to the ongoing pandemic and it may now become an annual tradition.

Convocation will be held at the BU Healthy Living Centre, following all public health orders. It is one of the best-ventilated spaces on campus and physical distancing will be followed as much as practical for all participants. Masks will be fully supported and, while capacity is not currently limited in the HLC, the university is asking graduates to limit their guest list to those who are truly closest to them.

“Convocation is an important and special occasion, and it is essential that we host it as safely as possible,” McDaniel said. “We are taking precautions to avoid the dense crowds and intense mingling of previous years by encouraging everyone to take advantage of larger spaces, including outdoors on our lovely campus.”

All graduating students from the Class of 2022 should now have submitted their application to graduate. More information about the ceremonies is being regularly posted online at BrandonU.ca/Convocation.

Grads from the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 must RSVP online to confirm their intent to attend no later than 4:30 p.m. on April 29, 2022. Details are being sent to the email addresses that BU has on file for them, or they can go to BrandonU.ca/Convocation/Previous-Grad.