With COVID-19 cases declining in Los Angeles, USC is now allowing out-of-state and international students to attend the 2020 and 2021 in-person ceremonies, according to an email from the university on April 9.
As Los Angeles has entered the orange tier, CDC and state guidelines have shifted to allow businesses such as restaurants, retail stores, entertainment centers, gyms, and others to increase capacity. Individuals over the age of 16 will be eligible for their COVID-19 vaccinations on April 15, a factor contributing to the lifted restrictions, and ultimately, the increased attendance allowance for commencement.
Previously, only students currently residing in California were permitted to attend. As a result, the university planned to broadcast all in-person activities live through “a new digital platform to host a memorable, feature-rich remote experience” for those outside of Los Angeles. This platform will still be available, despite the updates to in-person commencement attendance.
Any student who is unable to attend the live ceremonies will be part of the virtual procession hosted on demand on USC’s virtual platform. Students have the option to voluntarily upload photos in Marching Order to be displayed alongside their name during the event.
Commencement ceremonies will occur at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The FAQ webpage regarding commencement states that “all ceremonies will combine wonderful elements of USC’s traditional main graduation ceremony with those of individual school and college ceremonies.” Graduates will get to cross the stage to receive their diploma covers and take photos just as they would at a traditional pre-COVID ceremony.
While these new guidelines are significantly more inclusive for graduates, their two allotted guests will not be granted the same privilege. Any commencement ceremony guests must be California residents, even if they have been vaccinated.
“We understand the frustration and disappointment these restrictions and their timing are causing and will continue to urge state officials to allow out-of-state guests to attend commencement ceremonies,” Folt’s email read.
In order to participate in commencement, graduates must pre-register by visiting the commencement webpage and following the instructions listed there. If they fail to do so, Folt’s email explained, state regulations will prohibit the graduate from attending their ceremony. This deadline has been extended from April 1 to April 15.
The date and time for each school’s ceremony has not yet been determined, but the ceremonies themselves will occur twice a day between May 14 and May 25.
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated how students names will appear in the virtual procession. Those who attend will have their name displayed, and can voluntary upload photos in Marching Order to also be presented. Annenberg Media apologizes for the error.