On November 11, the University of Guyana’s (UG) 51st Convocation will be held at the Turkeyen campus where the University will celebrate the accomplishments of about 1800 students, and for the first time in the history of the university the certificated, diplomas and degrees will be awarded at two ceremonies.
According to a UG press release, the ceremony for the Faculties of Agriculture and Forestry, Earth the Environmental Sciences, and Technology, will be held at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) at 10:00h, while that for the Faculties of Education and Humanities, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences will be held on campus, beginning at 16:30 h.
The release quoted Vice-Chancellor Professor Ivelaw Griffith, who proposed the change as saying, “Our graduating classes have grown tremendously over the years, and having one ceremony has meant having extremely long ceremonies, with some graduates and guests leaving before the ceremonies conclude.” The release quoted him as adding, “Creating two ceremonies allows us to maintain the tradition of having every graduand cross the stage and shake the hand of the Chancellor, and maintain the solemnity of the occasion, while reducing the length of the ceremony.”