Passaic County Community college is always doing their best to make sure students have a safe and fun college experience during the pandemic. That is no do different here with the introduction to Grad Fest which will be held this year on June 8th, 9th, and 10th at PCCC main campus gymnasium.
A following press release was sent out to all department chairs.
“PCCC graduates will be invited to join us for a come-and-go celebration - GRAD FEST 2021. Graduating students will have an opportunity to pick up regalia, enjoy some light refreshments, music, give a-ways and speak with staff regarding transfer and careers in a festive atmosphere. Students receiving their Associate Degrees will also have an opportunity to be welcomed into the Alumni Association. GRAD FEST 2021 will be held on the Paterson Campus in the Gymnasium on June 8, 9 and 10 from 10am-6pm. The deadline for students to pick up regalia is June 10, 2021.”
Additionally the press release explained how graduation will be this year. “Once again, the Graduate Awards ceremony will be part of the Virtual Celebration of Graduates.”
“We will have a commemorative program; the student recipient will be recognized during the program and will have a short bio read by one faculty member. With 22+ awards this is the only way that we can do it in a timely fashion.”
Graduation at PCCC is usually in May but this year it will be later on June 24th. Dean Goldstein explained, “typically it is in May, but we had delayed graduation with the hopes of doing something in person but that didn’t work.”
She additionally said, “when the pandemic first started back in March 2020, anybody who could not complete their classes and got an “incomplete” they got an extension and had a whole year to complete those classes. If you were poised to graduate and still had stuff to do, you could get it in and the faculty would grade it and get it to registrar. President Rose wanted to make sure that everybody would have an opportunity to graduate that really was supposed to graduate. That is another reason for the date of June 24th. Last year graduation was in July but typically it is a week or two weeks after the last day of class.”
As described by Dean Goldstein, “grad Fest is an in person opportunity for students to come in and pick up their cap and gown, academic certificates, and plagues that they would normally get the week before graduation from PTK, EOF, and academic affairs. Program books for graduates will also be available and Alumni Affairs will be there as well.”
Last year the whole world was thrown into frenzy when Covid hit. As a result there was not a lot of time to prepare a formal graduation event for the graduates. Dean Goldstein shared why PCCC will be able to do a come-and-go celebration such as Grad Fest. “This year we were able to accommodate more. It is spread out over three days and typically you wouldn’t get 150 students at one time. That will be controlled on the outside by public safety. Only so many will be allowed inside at a time. We are trying to find some way to give students a little bit of a farewell which we couldn’t do last year.”
According to Dean Goldstein graduates shouldn’t plan on staying at grad fest for too long. “Ideally we would like students to stay for fifteen minutes. We want it to be festive but we have to get you in and then get you out. It won’t be like anything we’ve had in the past but it will be a little more than what we had last year. For students who might not be able to come into the building for maybe other health reasons, we will make arrangements and will have them be able to drive into Ellison parking lot just like last year, and give them a little bit of everything in their bag.”
Graduation will be held on June 24th virtually. Congrats to all of this year’s PCCC graduates!!