Students will be able to graduate in person this spring.
On May 9, Ohio State will hold its first in-person commencement ceremony since the winter of 2019.
The ceremony will look a little different – with a limited crowd, required masks and social distancing – but all graduates and two guests will be permitted to receive their diplomas in Ohio Stadium, returning to a bit of normalcy.
Here are a few of the changes:
- No more than 13,500 attendees will be permitted
- Two guests can accompany each graduate, and a livestream will be available for those who can’t watch in person. Each pod of three, including the masked graduate, family and/or friends, will be separated by 6 feet from others.
- All ticketing will be digital to minimize close interaction, and seating and timed gate entry will be designated ahead of time.
- Six-feet distance dots will be placed outside of each Ohio Stadium gate, and graduates and guests must enter together.
- Graduates will receive diplomas on their way into the stadium via assigned times.
- Spacing limitations mean a small number of graduates and their guests will be seated on the field along with college leaders.
Ohio State is also planning to celebrate all of its spring, summer and autumn 2020 graduates – all of whom had virtual commencement ceremonies during the COVID-19 pandemic – as part of the summer commencement ceremony on Aug. 8, which will be moved from the Schottenstein Center to Ohio Stadium to accommodate a larger crowd.
