This was the third year in which KMi have taken a Virtual Degree Ceremony to an international body of Open University students. From being the first calendared university ceremony of the new millenium, the event has now matured into a mainstream part of our degrees and ceremonies system.
Students posted audio and text notes to a ‘graduation portfolio’ website – some of which were used during the live ceremony, which this year, made awards to some 90 students from all OU Masters Programmes.
As usual, the event was webcast live using a KMi Stadium interface from the Berrill Lecture Theatre auditorium here in Milton Keynes. The audience came, not just from the UK, but from places as far afield as Geneva in Switzerland, Ontaria in Canada, Klagenfurt in Austria and Pittsburgh in the USA.
One student in British Columbia in Canada shared the live event with his family in West Yorkshire in the UK. He noted
“Isn’t this great? Living in Canada I thought I would never get to my own Grad ceremony, but here I am!”
Some students managed to tie in a live workplace celebration with the virtual event, as one from Southampton in the UK said:
“My whole department are in my office – drinking bubbles and eating strawberries. Far better than Wimbledon!”
Finally, to quote one student Faisal (Pakistan):
“Waoooooooo! wonderful ceremony. Congratulations of all of you. Yeaaaaa!”
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