Florida Institute of Technology will return to in-person commencement ceremonies for its summer term.
Many colleges, universities and schools — including Brevard Public Schools and Eastern Florida State College — held in-person commencement ceremonies this spring, but Florida Tech opted not to.
In a statement in the spring, Florida Tech President Dwayne McCay said he would have preferred an in-person ceremony, but the university had to balance the desire for in-person ceremonies with “its responsibility to the health and well-being of students, family, faculty and staff.”
However, Florida Tech’s summer commencement ceremony will be held at the Charles and Ruth Clemente Center on campus at 9:30 a.m. July 31, and each graduate will be permitted to bring two guests. The ceremony will be livestreamed.
The university said in a news release that it is set to confer 702 degrees, and that 447 students plan to attend the ceremony.
“The university is holding its commencement in keeping with the latest health guidance from local, state and national authorities,” Florida Tech stated in the news release.
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Florida Tech has held online ceremonies since spring 2020. This spring, Florida Tech hosted a digital ceremony and a small in-person recognition ceremony. Guests were not permitted, but graduates were allowed to walk individually across the stage in their graduation regalia and have their photos taken.
The announcement comes as cases surge in the United States, and some schools, colleges and universities weigh reinstating COVID-19 restrictions.
Several school districts around the country have announced that they will require students to wear face masks after the American Academy of Pediatrics announced updated guidelines recommending masking for everyone in schools older than age 2, regardless of vaccination status.
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More information about Florida Tech’s commencement ceremony and a livestream of the event will be available at fit.edu/graduation/summer-commencement/.
Bailey Gallion is the education reporter for FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallion at bgallion@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3786.
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