Spring 2021 graduates will celebrate their accomplishments over the last four years at an in-person event in Kinnick Stadium. 

In a campus-wide email sent on Friday, the University of Iowa announced it will host an in-person, outdoor celebration at Kinnick Stadium, in addition to the virtual commencement ceremony. 

Students can attend the virtual commencement, the in-person celebration, or both, the email said.

Earlier this month, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa announced they would hold modified in-person commencement ceremonies after pressure from Republican lawmakers in Des Moines to hold in-person graduation ceremonies.  Graduates in May and December of 2020 from Iowa’s public universities have been recognized virtually.

In late February, lawmakers introduced a bill to require in-person ceremonies this spring. That measure ultimately failed to clear a key legislative deadline. Families and friends of graduates traditionally travel from all over the world to celebrate graduation for thousands of Hawkeyes, raising concerns from the university and public health experts that a traditional in-person commencement could spread COVID-19. Advocates for an in-person graduation countered by saying the universities could make appropriate accommodations, such as an outdoor ceremony, to celebrate the milestone.

The celebration will begin at 1:30 p.m. on May 16, and students can bring two guests with them. Social distancing guidelines will be enforced, the email said, and masks will be required to enter the stadium.

While there won’t be a stage to cross at the in-person celebration, students will have their names and photos displayed on the Kinnick Stadium video screen, and will be asked to stand and be honored with others in their college.

A short program will include remarks from UI administrators and student leaders, the email said.

In addition to the celebration in Kinnick Stadium, the UI will provide an opportunity for students to have their photo taken professionally in front of the Pentacrest. 

In a December interview with The Daily Iowan, UI President Bruce Harreld said that the UI would plan on a virtual graduation because it takes time to organize the virtual format, but that the UI could reverse if COVID-19 conditions improved.

“We need to plan and that’s got a lot of things that we have to videotape and get all together,” Harreld said. “If we get all of that together, we can then throw it away and have a live one relatively easy. I hope that’s where we end up.”

COVID-19 Updates

The UI released information on the Johnson County COVID-19 vaccination process. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa has distributed 1,181,990 doses of COVID-19 vaccine. About 71,067 doses have been given in Johnson County.

According to Johnson County data, 29.29 percent of Johnson County residents have initiated and completed the two dose and single dose series. Of the 151,140 residents in Johnson County, 26,800 have completed the two-dose series. 

Since March 17, five UI students and two UI employees have self-reported testing positive for COVID-19. This brings the student semester-to-date total to 3,042 and employee semester-to-date total to 453. 

Two students are in isolation in the residence halls, and no students are in quarantine.