UB President Satish Tripathi announced UB will hold 17 in-person commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2021 in an email to the campus community on Friday.
Commencement ceremonies will take place between April 30 to May 16 at different venues across UB’s campuses.
Students will be allowed a limited number of guests, which varies by venue. All attendees must complete a daily health check, wear a mask, practice social distancing and show photo ID to allow for COVID-19 contact tracing after the event. Guests and attendees must also provide UB with a negative COVID-19 test, proof of vaccination or proof of full recovery from COVID-19.
UB’s commencement plan conforms to guidelines set forth by Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this week, and was reviewed and approved by both the Erie County and New York Health Departments.
The new NYS guidelines state that indoor events exceeding 100 people, and outdoor events exceeding 200 people, require prior Health Department notification. Capacity limits of both outdoor and indoor ceremonies vary by venue, and are determined by each venue’s size.
“We’re once again approaching the end of the academic year which means we need strict rules in place to ensure commencement ceremonies are done safely in the context of the ongoing pandemic,” Cuomo said. “But we all need to continue being vigilant and I am urging everyone to celebrate smart.”
Commencement ceremonies will kick off on April 30 at 1:30 p.m. with the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ ceremony at UB Stadium. The University Honors College graduates will round out the commencement week celebrations with a ceremony to take place in Furnas Lot at 6 p.m. on May 16.
Information about specific ceremonies can be found here.
The news desk can be reached at news@ubspectrum.com.
Photo: Paul Hokanson / UB Athletics
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
