The University of Southampton announced on the 19th of February that the Graduation Ceremony for the 2021 academic year will not be going ahead.

Recent government developments outline the lockdown exit plan which states that all restrictions could be lifted by 21st June 2021. It finds that all legal limits on social contact could be removed and there may be no legal limits on the number of people able to attend life events, if certain criteria is met on specific dates.

As graduation was initially planned for the 14th- 23rd July, we urge the University of Southampton to reconsider their plans. There will be plenty of opportunity to consider the situation alongside the 5 week incremental reviews by the government.

As is the case for all university students, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the student experience and we need the ability to celebrate our successes by way of the Graduation Ceremony.