ORONO, Maine — While it's months away, graduation is already on the minds of many seniors at universities throughout Maine. The University of Maine already announced its spring graduation will be fully online, leaving many students in Orono disappointed.
"They said that they would host events online to recognize our achievements," UMaine senior, Ashleigh Brogna, said.
After four, or more years of hard work, walking across the stage to receive your university diploma is one of the moments a student truly looks forward to.
So seniors created a petition, so far it has more than 1,700 signatures.
"So I guess it's disappointment in the university administration, it feels like nothing was really done to even attempt to make this happen in person," said Brody Osborne, a UMaine senior who started the petition. "There's certainly enough space and opportunity in this campus that some kind of in-person even can be held."
In an email sent to UMaine student's from President Ferrini-Mundy stated: "Commencement Committees are now planning virtual ceremonies to honor and recognize the hard work, dedication, achievements and perseverance of our UMaine and UMM undergraduate and graduate students during this particularly challenging time. We want to hear from you as that planning continues. On the Commencement websites, you can share your ideas and suggestions for what we can do, under the conditions we all face for observing safety and health protocols, to make your Commencement recognition as memorable and meaningful as we can possibly manage."
"So immediately upon seeing that email, I knew that if I could get enough support, we could try to get something to happen," Osborne said.
"There's guidance around distancing, indoors and outdoors would not allow us to do this safely but we are looking very creatively I think with a hardworking committee representing all parts of the university coming together regularly, I met with them this week to talk about ideas," Ferrini-Mundy said.
Ferrini-Mundy sent an email to students this afternoon stating she and the graduation committee members had received the petition and were assessing the options students sent. "We are aware of the petition to have some form of a 2021 in-person event...Currently, state of Maine requirements and university system guidance, in accordance with the best national advice about beating the pandemic, do not allow for indoor gatherings beyond 50 people. And the restrictions on outdoor gatherings limit group sizes to no more than 100 individuals, with restrictions, and, in some specific circumstances, up to 200 with restrictions. Assuming this guidance remains in place, there is no feasible way and no sufficiently large venue to simultaneously accommodate the approximately 12,000 people who typically attend the UMaine Commencement in Alfond Arena."
Ferrini-Mundy adds suggestions from students and community members are still welcome and can be submitted here.
Part of the email from UMaine's president sent to students also stated, "we are actively exploring a plan to record and photograph graduates walking across a stage as their names are read — all arriving by appointment, and following health and safety protocol, and without an audience."
Ferrini-Mundy said the university will also host a virtual town hall on our Commencement plans at 3 p.m. on March 3.
The University of Southern Maine is also planning virtual graduation ceremonies. "I think first of all it's against law and CDC guidelines and if we tried to host a traditional here in the state," USM President Glenn Cummings said.
Some other Maine universities plan on hosting in-person graduation ceremonies this fall for their graduating students without family members or friends, a virtual link will be available for them.
"There might not be a possibility of an audience, which we understand, but at least the graduates should be able to have some kind of physical ceremony," said Osborne.
"We have committees meeting regularly to look at what other possibilities might open up to us if state civil guidance should change," Ferrini-Mundy said.
"The actual act of walking across the stage in front of all those people that you've been through the last few years of hard work with means a lot more than just walking across your own camera in your living room," Osborne said.
In a statement to NEWS CENTER Maine from Bowdoin College on this year's spring graduation: "Assuming the state’s rules will permit such a gathering this spring, Bowdoin is planning to hold an in-person commencement ceremony, however, out of an abundance of caution, the college has notified graduating seniors that family members and other guests should plan to attend the ceremony and other Commencement-related events virtually."
In a statement from Colby College to NEWS CENTER Maine on this year's spring graduation: Colby College is committed to ensuring that we can have a wonderful celebration for the Class of 2021 on Commencement Weekend at the end of May. At this point, we are planning for outdoor baccalaureate and commencement exercises, although we have yet to determine whether we will be able to invite families and friends to the ceremonies. For that to happen, we will need to see substantial progress in the nation’s public health environment and changes to our state regulations. At this point, we are assuming that commencement weekend will be open to all seniors and the campus community only but with live streaming of events. However, we will continue to closely evaluate the situation should a larger celebration become possible.
Husson University used to host its graduation ceremonies at the Cross Insurance Center, not this year. This year smaller in-person ceremonies will be hosted for students at the Gracie Theatre on campus, no family members no friends will be allowed.