By La Toya Smith
The Scene staff
Forest Park will have a commencement ceremony this spring, but it will be “drive-thru” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students will get their diplomas from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 15, with a stage set up in front of the new Center for Nursing and Health Sciences on campus.
“The ceremony gives the students a chance to walk across the stage and feel like things like graduation can still be normalized,” said Dedra Duncan, director of the orientation, transition and peer mentor program. “The graduation committee listened to the students and, because of that, they will get the graduation they deserve.”
Information is being sent to students who registered, including instructions on how to line up in cars. Signs also will direct traffic.
Students can bring one vehicle each. They will exit their vehicles, walk across the stage, get their diplomas and pose for official photos.
Family members and friends may park elsewhere on campus after the ceremony for candid photos.
“It was a little sad for the students not to graduate in 2020,” said student Somer Wain. “Now hopefully things will be back to normal, and this graduation will make students feel accomplished. Everyone looks forward to graduation. This day is a very special day.”
Joyce Starr Johnson, vice chancellor of academic affairs for St. Louis Community College, said the district will hold four smaller commencement ceremonies this year instead of one big ceremony at Chaifetz Arena, as is traditional.
Hours are 6 to 8 p.m. May 14 for the Wildwood campus, 9 a.m. to noon May 15 for the Florissant Valley campus and 5 to 8 p.m. May 15 for the Meramec campus.
Forest Park Bookstore employee Delainey Maughs said she hopes college officials can make the commencement ceremony as personable as possible for students.
“That (drive-thru) graduation may not have the same decorum for students as graduations in the past,” she said.
All four commencement ceremonies will be accessible for disabled students who need wheelchairs, public transportation or other arrangements.