MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The 4,500-members of the West Virginia University Class of 2020 will graduate virtually, in locations all over the world due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Mountaineer Graduation Day, created as the first-ever online event because of the University’s closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the prerecorded one hour event will be available on the internet beginning at 11 a.m. EST on Saturday by going to wvu.stageclip.com. No login or password is required and there is no limit on viewers.
“It’s certainly not the commencement that our students expected,”Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Maryanne Reed said,”But, I think they’re going to appreciate it and they’re going to have fun.”
Reed has been consulted through the planning process and says they have developed unique ways for for students to participate.
“It’s interactive, in that they have the opportunity to send in videos prior to that, and some of those videos will be in the webcast,” Reed said,”There’s a lot of social media around it including the Twitter hashtag WVU Grad. We knew we couldn’t do something in-person and we wanted to create a memorable experience for our students and this is what we came up with.”
Many students have posed in caps and gowns for pictures and videos at memorable locations around campus to be used in the webcast.
Country music star and West Virginia native Brad Paisley will be awarded a Presidential honorary degree.
“He’s going to receive an honorary doctorate which Dr. Gee will hand off to him in a virtual, interesting way,” Reed said,”And some other elements I think he’ll be involved with.”
No WVU commencement would be complete without singing “Country Roads,” the song that bridges any distance for Mountaineers, and this year will be no exception.
Reed says the students have accepted the conditions and welcome the ceremony after spending up to five years on campus earning their academic credentials.
“They have true love and loyalty for the institution and I think they’re rallying. This is not what anybody expected, it’s not preferable,” Reed said,”But, they’re doing what we’re all doing, making the best of a difficult situation.”