West Virginia University To Hold Online Commencement Ceremony
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (KDKA) -- West Virginia University is set to host a virtual commencement ceremony to celebrate its graduating Class of 2020 amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
The university has created Mountaineer Graduation Day as an online event that will be available on the internet at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 16th.
There will be no requirement for a login or password to be able to view the ceremony.
"This year's May commencement ceremony will be like none other in the history of our institution and in the lives of our graduates," Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Maryanne Reed said in a press release. "Our May 2020 graduates are living through the most unpredictable period of their lives, but the COVID-19 pandemic will not define them. They have persevered through years of higher education and are embarking on a world different from when they started, and our graduates will use what they've learned to navigate the uncharted waters of the future."
The program is expected to run for approximately 30 minutes program and will feature some of the standard traditional commencement elements as well as a parting speech from University President Gordon Gee.
Country music star and West Virginia native Brad Paisley will be awarded a Presidential honorary degree.
Other speakers will include Vice President and Executive Dean for Health Sciences Clay Marsh and Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Meshea Poore.
Despite the ceremony taking place online, much like every in-person ceremony, this year's version will feature a singing of "Country Roads."
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.
For those unable to watch live, the event will be available to watch on WVU's YouTube channel after it ends.
May graduates are being invited back to Morgan town for an in-person celebration ceremony at the WVU Coliseum on December 19.
