No in-person convocation for Bishop’s this year

Record Staff

Although the school had previously announced a tentative plan to hold a modified convocation ceremony on campus this fall, Bishop’s University has ultimately decided to mail students their diplomas and hold an online ceremony at the end of August.
“At present, the public health rules in Quebec do not allow for gatherings of more than 50 people,” wrote Principal Michael Goldbloom in a message to the graduating class published on Facebook Tuesday. “The limit may be raised to 250 people later in the summer, but that would still not allow us to welcome more than 1,000 people into the Denver Gym twice in the same day as we traditionally do.”
The principal’s message proposes a two-part ceremony split between an online presentation scheduled for August 29 and a face-to-face gathering in June of 2021
“Several students have written to say how meaningful it would be for them to cross the stage in their academic gowns to receive their diplomas from their University in the presence of their family, friends and classmates,” Goldbloom wrote. “The other perspective we have considered comes from students who have said that the year ended abruptly in March in an unsatisfying way. After several months of isolation and physical distancing, they would like to have a communal experience this summer to celebrate individual and collective achievement and to acknowledge the unique challenges everyone is experiencing.”
The split ceremony is meant as a way of balancing these two perspectives, but even in proposing it, the principal pointed out that such a dramatic shift from the traditional model is not immune to bumps in the road later on.
“There are many components to work out for both portions of the Convocation and the details of the ceremony next June may need to be modified once we know how many members of the Class of 2020 will be present,” he said.

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