CALMAR & PEOSTA—In response to COVID-19 and the restriction on large gatherings, Northeast Iowa Community College will host a virtual commencement ceremony this spring. The recorded ceremony will be broadcast on Facebook LIVE on Thursday May 14, 2020, at 7 p.m. Students, faculty, staff families and friends are encouraged to comment and interact during the broadcast. A recorded version of the ceremony will also be available at www.nicc.edu/graduation2020.

College administrators determined that the virtual ceremony would provide a timely celebration of graduates and their achievements. Because it is unclear when large gatherings will be acceptable and social distancing guidelines lifted, the virtual ceremony allows graduates, their families and friends to celebrate this significant milestone in their lives.

"Our mission has always been to support and serve our students, and now, more than ever, we recognize a need for togetherness, community and celebration around this pivotal milestone in students' lives," saidKathleen Nacos-Burds, Ph.D., vice president of learning and student success.

With an expected 350 students and 2,000 of their friends and family in attendance at district ceremonies, the COVID-19 outbreak suggested a safer option. The College is determined to recognize this milestone for the Class of 2020.

“This year’s graduates are remarkable, and not only because they have thrived academically during an unprecedented time in humankind’s history,” said Liang Chee Wee, Ph.D., Northeast Iowa Community College president. “I am proud of all that they accomplished during their time with us and look forward to celebrating their continued successes for years to come.”

The College’s virtual commencement ceremony will be the first online gathering of its kind in school history. The 60-minute virtual event will include the elements of a traditional graduation ceremony, including remarks from Dr. Wee and two graduating students, Becca Hermann and Megan Schultz. Hermann is a May 2020 graduate of the Dairy Science Technology program at the Calmar campus. Schultz is a December 2019 Associate of Arts graduate from the Peosta campus.