K-State Virtual Commencement Website Created
Distance learning graduates who can’t attend their upcoming K-State commencement ceremony, as well as their friends, family, and well-wishers, can still get a taste of some of the pomp and circumstance at K-State’s new Virtual Commencement website.
The www.dce.ksu.edu/commencement site went live May 9. It was designed by the Virtual Commencement Committee in the Division of Continuing Education and built by Elie Helou and Victor Holt in DCE Information Systems.
Nearly 100 distance education students are graduating in May 2003. Distance learning students now account for more than 10 percent of the students at K-State, said Elizabeth Unger, vice provost of academic services and technology and dean of continuing education.
See the full news release from Media Relations: Cyberspace ceremony means all can share in commencement at K-State.
“Most distance education graduates find that the reasons they took distance learning courses — because of time and distance restraints — are the same reasons they can’t attend commencement,” Unger said. “Thus, this virtual ceremony was created, with K-State President Jon Wefald as a major participant, to allow distance learning graduates to celebrate with the rest of the university community.”
The site features:
a commencement address by Wefald
welcoming remarks by Unger
special “gradulations” from Willie the Wildcat
music by the K-State Marching Band
a virtual campus tour
The site lists K-State’s spring 2003 distance learning graduates. Family, friends and well-wishers can leave messages of congratulations to their graduates at the site. Messages can be posted through June and will remain online to view for several months.
If “attendance” at the virtual ceremony proves to be a popular and meaningful experience, the site could become a commencement fixture at K-State.
—K-State Media Relations and Marketing news release, May 12, 2003
