Hail to the graduates: Virtual events, recognitions to honor students
Friday, May 8, 2020
Various virtual and online celebrations are set for Kansas State University's May and summer graduates.
MANHATTAN — Commencement ceremonies may be delayed at Kansas State University, but celebrations and recognitions for the university's nearly 3,350 spring graduates are set. The class of 2020, which also will include students earning their degrees this summer and in December, is the 153rd to graduate from K-State.
K-State's May graduates, who have been invited to participate in commencement ceremonies in December, include nearly 2,500 students who will earn bachelor's degrees, more than 650 students earning master's degrees, about 100 students earning doctorates, and 107 students receiving a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. More than 275 students earned their degrees through distance education and nearly 200 students are earning multiple degrees.
"Kansas State University congratulates its May graduates and applauds their resiliency and perseverance in completing their degrees during these unprecedented times," said Richard Myers, university president. "While our in-person commencement ceremonies are delayed and I won't be able to personally hand each graduate their diploma this spring, I salute these graduates from the class of 2020 for their diligence and adaptability to reach this important milestone in their lives."
Students will receive their diplomas, K-State diploma covers, special commencement program and honor cords — if earned for academic performance — in the mail this summer. Each K-State college and the K-State Alumni Association also will recognize the graduates with their traditional gift of a year's free membership to the association.
"What these members of the class of 2020 have achieved is truly special," said Charles Taber, K-State provost and executive vice president. "That's why we hope as many of our new graduates as possible will take part in commencement ceremonies on Dec. 11 and 12 in Manhattan and at Kansas State Polytechnic in Salina. Your hard work deserves to be acknowledged and we welcome your family, friends and loved ones to join in this celebration."
Even though the ceremonies have been delayed, K-State colleges have planned special events, recognitions and tributes to honor their spring graduates:
• Kansas State Polytechnic will have a virtual ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 9.
• The College of Veterinary Medicine will have a virtual ceremony on Friday, May 15.
• The College of Architecture, Planning & Design will share a slideshow recognizing each graduate on Saturday, May 16.
• In the College of Arts and Sciences, each department is sending its graduates a message of congratulations along with a congratulatory video message from the dean, Amit Chakrabarti. Some departments also have planned virtual celebrations.
• The College of Education will send a video to all of its graduates that ends with Dean Debbie Mercer ringing the Bluemont Bell, a college tradition on commencement day. The college also will recognize its student award winners and post messages from the graduates on social media.
• The College of Business Administration will provide an online tribute to its graduates. It will include a video from the dean and a graphic for each graduate and be posted at cba.k-state.edu.
• The College of Agriculture will share a senior video in recognition of its spring and summer graduates on its social media channels, @kstateag.
• The College of Health and Human Sciences will share the names of all graduates at 4:30 p.m. May 16, which would have been the time of the college's spring ceremony. The college also will recognize its outstanding seniors on social media May 10-15.
• The College of Engineering will provide special video messages to its graduates. They will be posted by May 16 at engg.k-state.edu/spring-2020-graduates.
• K-State Global Campus is continuing its tradition of offering a virtual commencement website for its distance education graduates, online.k-state.edu/student-support/virtual-commencement/. The students have been invited to submit videos, photos and messages that will be posted on the site.
More K-State commencement information is available at k-state.edu/graduation. The website also includes a "K-State grad" photo frame that graduates can use with their Facebook profile picture.
