Undergraduate colleges bid adieu to the students of their ‘Covid batches’. Last week, St. Xavier College’s decision of planning a graduation ceremony limited to the subject toppers did not sit well with their students. Petitions were filed to change the admin’s decision and students spoke out about their discontentment. The Free Press Journal reached out to other colleges in Mumbai to find out their policies regarding the graduation ceremonies to be conducted in the post COVID world.
“We will plan a graduation ceremony of course, but depending on the situation. If possible, we would like to share this experience with our earlier batches as well if the means are available. At this stage we are waiting for the situation to improve and the relevant government decisions too,” said the principal of Jai Hind College, Dr. Ashok Wadia.
“I would like to give this ceremony to everyone who has graduated, and their parents. Every person is a part of Jaihind and this is their last opportunity of experiencing college. It might happen in June or even July, we do not have a concrete date yet.”
Certain colleges, like Sophia College for Women offered an online convocation to the 2019-20 and 2020-21 batches. “The next batch deserves to get their convocation done offline,” said the Principal Dr. Anagha Tendulkar.
“At this stage we have not taken policy decisions. All of us want to do it offline, where we can see all our students coming on stage and taking their well-deserved degrees. Since this is the only batch left, we would have a normal convocation like we used to, taking COVID into consideration.”
The outstation students went back home after catching glimpses of their college in their First Year. College fests, that are known around the city, were conducted online by these students. Certain undergraduate colleges opened for offline examinations while the others conducted their final examinations online as well.
“Mithibai already conducted an offline graduation ceremony for the students of ‘21. The students of 2022 shall certainly receive one offline as well,” said the Principal, Dr. Krutika B. Desai.
“We send out invites to all the subject toppers and they are called up on stage. The rest of the students fill out google forms and are invited to participate in the procession. Since the auditorium cannot contain the batch in its entirety, we have the seats reserved on a first come first serve basis. By the time the ceremony happens, it is seen that many of them have left the city in pursuit of higher studies.”
