By Landon Hall
Tired of Zoom? Yearning to escape the boxes you’re locked into by virtual meetings? Get ready for USC’s graduation extravaganza for the classes of 2020 and 2021.
For those of us who have grown accustomed to breakout rooms as a technological innovation, what the university has in store is a huge leap forward. As described, the programming not only should be a welcome treat after a year-plus of the pandemic, but the kind of salute the hard-working members of the Class of ’21 deserve.
“We wanted to make people feel like they’re a little more immersed and feel like they’re there,” said Adam Rosen, Associate Vice President for Cultural Relations and University Events at USC.
Of course, many people will indeed be present for the in-person commencement USC is putting on at the Los Angeles Coliseum — a series of live events in the massive 98-year-old stadium to be held from May 14-25. The Keck School is actually first up — 8 a.m. on the 14th — but physical distancing will limit the capacity of who will attend. If you’re a student who’s going (and you’re allowed to bring two guests), you already know who you are. Details on the university’s page here. Graduates will still walk across the stage, and have their photos taken. Just like in the Great Before.
(Here’s a list of the in-person ceremonies and details.)
The various school graduation celebrations, including the Keck School’s, will still happen virtually, on Thursday May 13. Here’s the schedule by degree program at KSOM:
- MD, Undergrads and Preventive Med, 10:30 a.m.
- Grad students/PhDs, 11 a.m.
- PAs, 1 pm
(Check out the KSOM Class of 2021 landing page.)
With the Coliseum events taking place in shifts, most people who want to experience them will do so virtually, and here’s where Rosen and plenty of other technical experts come in: After last year’s Zoom events, Rosen began thinking of different platforms to use for a more sensory experience this time. Rosen credits President Carol L. Folt for pushing to get approval for an in-person gathering at all (“The president is the reason this is happening.”), and her instructions to him were clear: high production values, make it fun, and “make sure we provide our graduates with an experience that celebrates what they’ve gone through,” Rosen said.
(Here’s a list of virtual school celebrations and times.)
Rosen et al checked out some 75 different programs, did a “deep dive” on 24 of them, and interviewed 12. The winner was 6Connex, a virtual event platform based in San Antonio. The company’s platform will not only host the broadcasts of the in-person events but all the virtual ones happening at the schools.
The platform allows the architects to build out virtual environments. So when the user enters a room, they’ll have plenty to look at and interact with: graphics, videos, and of course, speakers. Narsing A. Rao, MD, Interim Dean of the Keck School, will address the KSOM virtual celebrations, as well as the Coliseum event May 14. The commencement speaker for KSOM is Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At the Coliseum, coverage will be enhanced by a 360-degree virtual reality camera. There will also be a photo booth, a “virtual processional” for all students, message of congratulations from alumni, faculty and family, and social media feeds.
Zoom and YouTube still have a role in broadcasting events at the school level, since they allow for closed-captioning.
Access to 6Connex will be on the commencement page in the days leading up to the ceremonies.