We are very disappointed not to be able to welcome you to your graduation ceremony this summer due to the impact of Covid-19. Since we can’t celebrate in person, we would like to invite you to a virtual celebration. This isn’t a replacement for your graduation ceremony, but a chance to celebrate your achievements with family and friends this summer. We look forward to inviting you to an in in-person ceremony in the future. Virtual graduation celebration The virtual celebrations will take place at 2pm Thursday 10th September and will also be available to watch later if you can’t join us on the day. Join the virtual celebrations Ahead of our virtual graduation celebration, we’re asking all of our summer graduates to join in the celebrations by sharing photos and films with us. We’re partnering with StageClip who'll manage our virtual celebrations. Everyone's photos or videos will be shared during the virtual celebration with other congratulatory messages from our University community. Everyone who takes part in the virtual celebration will also be invited back for an in-person graduation ceremony in the future. 1. Register to join the virtual celebration The first step is to let us know you'd like to join the virtual celebration. If you would like to participate in the virtual celebration, you must complete the registration form by Thursday 27th August. Registration for the virtual celebration is now closed. We will be in touch soon with information on how to provide your photo and film, as well as how to view the virtual celebration. 2. Get ready for the virtual celebration 2. Get ready for the virtual celebration Once you have completed the registration form, StageClip will be in touch after the closing date to let you know how to provide your photo and/or film that will be shown during the virtual celebration. StageClip will contact you at the email address you provided on the virtual celebration registration form. You will need to upload your photo and/or film to the StageClip website by Sunday 6th September. After 6thSeptember, it won’t be possible to upload any photos or films or to make changes to those you’ve already uploaded. The photo will be shown alongside your name and degree, and an example of what this might look like is below. You can also upload a film up to 10 seconds long with a message that will be shown during the virtual celebration. Image 3. Join the celebration The virtual celebration will take place at 2pm on Thursday 10th September 2020. It will be available on YouTube, and to download, for at least one year. We will send you a link to join closer to the date, which you can share with family and friends. You can also join us in celebrating on social media using the hashtag #EdinburghGrad. After the celebration you will also be able to download your personal clip from the virtual ceremony to share with friends and family. Important dates 27 August - Deadline for registering to join the virtual celebration End of August - StageClip will contact you to begin uploading your photo and/or film 6 September - Deadline to upload your photo and/or film 10 September - Celebration day! Frequently Asked Questions If I participate in the virtual celebration, can I still attend an in person graduation ceremony? Yes, all of this summer’s graduates will be invited to a graduation ceremony in the future. Should I wear academic dress for my photo or film? What you wear is your choice and academic dress is not required. If you’d like to wear academic dress and are based in the UK, you can hire a gown and hood from Ede and Ravenscroft and it will be posted to your house. If you do want to order academic dress, please order as soon as possible and allow 5-7 days for the delivery. Can I have family, friends or pets in my photo or video? The photo and video are your chance to celebrate your achievements and what you include is your choice. How do graduates and guests access the virtual celebration? We will email a link to all graduates participating before the celebration date, which you can then share with friends and family. The celebration will then be available on YouTube for at least one year. Who will have access to the virtual celebrations? The virtual celebrations will be available on YouTube. By signing up and uploading images or videos you are agreeing to post your submitted information publicly to the website. Who is invited to participate in the virtual celebration? The deadline for awards to be confirmed for students graduating this summer was 7 July. All students who had their final degree award published by 7 July and whose School is participating will be invited to the virtual celebration. Most Schools are participating in the virtual celebration and if you have received an invitation, then your School is taking part. If you aren't sure, then please contact infopoint@ed.ac.uk to confirm. My School or College has already held a virtual celebration - can I still participate? Most Schools are participating in the virtual celebration, even if your School has already hed a separate event. If you have received an invitation, then your School is taking part. If you aren't sure, then please contact infopoint@ed.ac.uk to confirm. Who do I contact if I have questions? Please contact infopoint@ed.ac.uk with any other questions. How will my information be used? If you register to participate in the virtual celebration, your information will be passed to StageClip including your name, University username, degree and subject. StageClip's terms and conditions, including how they use the data provided, is available at https://stageclip.com/terms-conditions/. Your name, degree and subject will be shown in the virtual celebration which will be available on YouTube. If you upload a photo and/or film to StageClip, these will also be available on YouTube. The virtual celebration available on YouTube may also be used for University-wide marketing and promotional communications, including on the University website, in University social media, and on online marketing materials. This article was published on 2024-07-29