UC Merced Takes 2020 Spring Commencement Virtual

While the COVID-19 pandemic has altered many things this spring on the UC Merced campus — from classes and research to events — UC Merced is making sure the Class of 2020 has a forum to commemorate students’ achievements and successes.

“We are proud of our graduates and especially proud of their resilience in these challenging times,” said interim Chancellor Nathan Brostrom. “Many of our graduates will be the first in their families to earn college degrees, and while we look forward to getting together in person to celebrate again when it is safe to gather, our graduates and their families deserve public recognition of their accomplishments now.”

Commencement planning started in January and preparations for in-person ceremonies were falling into place until the shelter-in-place order went into effect in mid-March. The campus then pivoted to alternatives.

“We acknowledged that some students may not be able to return to campus for a postponed ceremony, so we wanted to provide an opportunity for them to experience commencement,” Assistant Director of Protocol and Special Events Trisha Koenig said. “With so much still unknown and no idea when we could hold an in-person ceremony, it was clear we needed to start planning a virtual ceremony right away.”

Koenig, colleague Chris Luna, External Relations Chief of Staff Danielle Armedilla and others had less than five weeks to plan every aspect of the ceremony, working with other campus groups to ensure the virtual event goes off flawlessly.

“The goal was to keep it an academic ceremony but add different features to mark this momentous occasion for the graduates and their families,” Koenig said.

Although the virtual event was prerecorded using green-screen technology in a physically distant environment, it still had some of the same traditional elements as an in-person commencement.

“Regardless of where we celebrate, we are filled with pride for what our graduates have worked so hard to achieve,” Brostrom said. “While it won’t be what they were expecting when they started their journeys at UC Merced, we hope to make it memorable.”