THE UNIVERSITY is considering conducting face-to-face (F2F) graduation ceremonies for the first time in two years at the end of Academic Year (AY) 2021-2022.
According to UST Secretary General Fr. Louie Coronel, O.P., there have been early discussions held regarding the guidelines on how to conduct in-person graduation ceremonies safely as Covid-19 continues to spread in the country.
“We are exploring all possibilities sa graduation na ito,” he told the Varsitarian.
“I already convened the Central Graduation Committee, we already talked about [the possibility of F2F graduation ceremonies] and they are positive about it,” he added, noting that his office had also engaged in consultations with scientists, doctors and mathematicians aside from deans.
According to the academic calendar, this year’s Baccalaureate Mass is scheduled for June 3, while solemn investitures are on June 8.
The government’s pandemic task force has placed Metro Manila under the more lenient Alert Level 1 until March 15.
Coronel said the University was still “testing the waters” of Alert Level 1 and more serious discussions would be held once Metro Manila retains its low-risk classification and Covid-19 reproduction rate.
“We need also to determine what would happen in the coming days and coming months that would affect our decision […] but I can only speak for as of now,” he said.
The secretary general said the University would also survey graduates of Batch 2020 and Batch 2021 if they would like to have catch-up graduation ceremonies.
“We are exploring all possibilities in order to accommodate everyone,” he said. “But this is subject to a lot of variables like the availability of alumni, if they are still in the Philippines and if they will be available on the specific dates that we set.”
The decision will ultimately be made by the University Crisis Management Committee headed by UST Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P.
This year’s graduating batch is composed of the pioneer graduates of the K-to-12 curriculum that added two years of senior high school to the country’s educational system. UST has about 8,000 graduating students in AY 2021-2022.
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In the past two years, the University sent off its graduates with virtual graduation ceremonies including an exit through the Arch of the Centuries via UST Minecraft and a Baccalaureate Mass live-streamed on Facebook.
