UBC Okanagan gears up for virtual graduation ceremony

UBC Okanagan's graduation ceremony is only a day away, and normally graduates would be getting ready to cross the stage, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year's celebration will be held virtually.

The online ceremony will still have many of the traditional elements and some new.

"We need to make these virtual ceremonies feel as real as possible so that graduates feel like they really have graduated and really feel acknowledged for their hard work," says associate director of ceremonies and events, Alanna Vernon.

Vernon and her team have been working hard since February to craft the ceremony, which will include both recorded and live elements.

The Vancouver School of Music and the Okanagan Symphony Wind Ensemble have teamed up to record Oh Canada and the Okanagan Song.

"We'll have remarks from the Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, student speakers, so all of those parts are there," says Vernon.

And for students who were unable to get their graduation photos taken, a Snapchat filter has been created to recreate that experience.

"It's actually really good, it actually looks real, it looks like real fabric, I'm blown away by it," says Vernon. "So graduates can use the Snapchat filter to take photos and have that added as content to their procession slides."

During a normal ceremony, graduates would cross the stage and shake hands with UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Santa J. Ono. To achieve this in the best way possible through the virtual ceremony, students will have the opportunity to take a selfie with him instead.

"We want them to be ready with their cameras and their phones and we want them to take their selfies with him when he poses with them and then we want them to share them on social media using the hashtag #UBCOGrad," says Vernon, adding that students will have two opportunities to get their photo at the beginning and the end of the ceremony.

Another highlight for the virtual ceremony is the keynote address from iconic Canadian comedian Rick Mercer, a 2010 UBC honorary degree recipient.

"We typically award honorary degrees during graduation, and we're not doing it this time so as we were thinking about the ceremony, we thought featuring a keynote speaker might be something that would be special that we wouldn't typically offer in an in-person ceremony," says Vernon. 

Vernon and her team then saw an opportunity to do something special for graduates.

"When Rick Mercer's name came up, it was immediately apparent that he would be incredible," she says. "When we reached out to him it was an immediate yes...I've had a preview of his remarks and I think everyone is going to love them."

The ceremony takes place Wednesday and everyone is encouraged to tune in at 2:30 p.m. for the pre-show for the chance to test wifi connections and listen to congratulatory remarks from all of the deans. The ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. followed by a UBC alumni reception. 

The ceremony will be hosted on Facebook Live, YouTube Live and Panopto for those living in countries without Facebook or YouTube access. 

To learn more about UBC Okanagan's virtual graduation ceremony, click here.