Ohio State University: Ohio State to award more than 12,000 degrees at two commencement events
The Ohio State University will confer 12,345 degrees and certificates during two in-person spring commencement ceremonies at Ohio Stadium on Sunday, May 9.
President Kristina M. Johnson will preside over ceremonies at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The university will welcome Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, as spring commencement speaker. Dimon’s remarks will be delivered virtually.
Joining Dimon as speakers are three pioneers in their fields. U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, whose district includes Ohio State, will receive an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree; and veteran NASA astronaut Ellen Ochoa and prolific chemical engineer Robert Langer will each receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
A pre-ceremony program featuring messages from graduates, deans and other university leaders from across Ohio State campuses will begin 30 minutes before each ceremony. For those unable to attend in person, the ceremonies will be livestreamed. The 11 a.m. livestream can be viewed here and the 3 p.m. live stream can be viewed here. A replay of highlights will air Monday at 7 p.m. on WOSU.
When the ceremony has concluded, video of the event – including the pre-ceremony program – will be made available to the public and media at https://go.osu.edu/springcomm21.
After working closely with local health officials, the university announced plans in March for two in-person commencement ceremonies. In addition to the two smaller ceremonies, the university is instituting a number of changes to commencement to promote a safe and healthy experience, including digital ticketing and a maximum of two guests to accompany each graduate.
All attendees must wear a mask in all areas of campus, indoors and outside and throughout the entire commencement ceremony. Masks may only be removed, temporarily, for eating and drinking while seated.
To ensure the safety of all graduates and their guests, heightened security measures will be in effect throughout commencement ceremonies and events.
Gates will open 90 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. Graduates and guests are encouraged to arrive and be seated at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony.