Updated 3/22/21
This page serves as a resource for our 2021 graduates. Please check back frequently as we will be updating this page with critical information regarding our commencement 2021 ceremony. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our 2021 commencement ceremony will be held virtually.
We decided to pivot to a virtual ceremony about a month ago because there is still no indication we will be allowed to hold an in-person event in May. We are working hard to make a virtual event as special and as personal as possible. We have less than eight weeks before commencement to achieve this, so it is important that we make a firm decision to provide the best experience possible.
We intend to provide a virtual ceremony that will showcase the class and each of its individual members. We are currently interviewing virtual commencement companies that can provide a platform for us to create as much of the traditional experience as possible and expect to select one in the very near future. The committee is hard at work identifying those things now. The committee is relying on data collected from the graduating class and the input of student representatives to understand what is important to this year's graduates.
Further details about participation will be made available in the near future.
Every school has its own set of unique circumstances that will guide its decision-making process. We do not want to risk getting to May, only to find an in-person event is not possible due to Vermont’s COVID restrictions. We are working on what we know to be possible to ensure the best experience that we can for our graduates.
Yes, but we must remain vigilant. Among other things, the State is worried about new variants and about the possibility of spikes as people let down their guard. (We are already seeing this on some campuses.) Yes, all the indicators look good at the moment, but it takes a lot of time (and money) to plan an in-person ceremony, and it takes an equivalent amount of time and money to create a virtual ceremony, so we cannot wait until early May to make the decision. The decision must be made now. Accordingly, the prudent thing is to put all of our efforts into a virtual ceremony.
We have seen some recent confusion about our graduation fee.
Castleton charges a graduation fee to all of its graduates. It is not a "commencement" fee, it is a “graduation” fee, and as such it contributes to the cost of a variety of expenses that occur over four years, including degree audits, printing and mailing diplomas, various administrative expenses, and the commencement ceremony. In the event of a virtual ceremony, we are redirecting resources normally devoted to the in-person event to the virtual experience. Every student, regardless if you choose to participate, must pay the graduation fee in order to receive your diploma and/or official transcript.
Actually, every institution in the VSCS (Castleton, Vermont Technical College, Northern Vermont University-Lyndon, Northern Vermont University-Johnson, and Community College of Vermont) independently concluded that our duty to protect the public's health compels us to hold virtual ceremonies.
We are currently working with representatives from the Class of 2020 on a solution to recognize them. We will provide more information in the near future.
Day and Date: Saturday, May 15, 2021
Time: 11 a.m.
Place: Online