Graduation
Virtual Commencements Planned for Spring 2021 - Prescott Campus Graduates Celebrated in “Grad Walk”
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott Campus will host a Virtual Commencement Ceremony to celebrate our Spring 2021 graduates. The ceremony viewing link will be presented online on Saturday, May 8, 2021. All graduates will be individually recognized with a graduate slide during the ceremony, names will be read and degrees will be conferred. Graduates are requested to submit a pronunciation of their name and are invited to personalize their slide with a personal message or quote and a photo. We recognize that commencement is an important milestone for graduates and their families. We look forward to celebrating our students and their accomplishments, and we encourage inviting family and friends to watch and celebrate this wonderful occasion!
In addition to the Virtual Commencement, we are excited to share that Prescott Campus graduates will be able to walk across the graduation stage in full regalia as their name is read during the separate, festive “Grad Walk” event. Classmates, faculty and staff will be in attendance to applaud and cheer our grads on. Professional photographs will be taken and a video of the event will be posted online so graduates can share their special moment with family and friends. All Covid-19 safety protocols will be in place. To limit group sizes, family members and others outside of the Embry-Riddle community will not be able to attend the Grad Walk event.
Questions and Answers
Will graduates and families have a chance to share the traditional commencement experience together sometime later?
Embry-Riddle is looking into options for a face-to-face make-up event, to include graduates as well as their families, pandemic conditions permitting. If feasible, a make-up event may take place in the fall.
Why couldn’t Embry-Riddle host traditional commencements at large venues or outdoors?
We cannot facilitate a gathering for thousands of people – and be responsible for everyone’s safety before, during and after the events – amid an unprecedented global pandemic.
We further have a responsibility, as an aviation and aerospace university with a strong focus on safety, to minimize public health risks associated with travel.
Why make the commencement decision now? Why not wait until later?
Organizing events for thousands of attendees requires months of advance planning. Although Covid-19 infection rates are currently declining and vaccinations rates are rising, variants of the virus are also spreading rapidly. We cannot predict today what the pandemic will be doing in May, or what local government restrictions will be in place.
At the time of this decision (Feb. 25, 2021), very few, if any, students have been vaccinated, and an insufficient number of faculty and staff have been vaccinated at our three campuses.
Where will I find links to the virtual commencements?
More detailed information about virtual commencement ceremonies will be posted here soon.
How will graduates learn about the Grad Walk?
We will reach out to all graduating seniors directly, to let them know where to go, when, and what to expect before, during and after the celebratory Grad Walk event.