Graduating from college is one of the biggest milestones of a student’s life.
Years of cramming for exams, pulling all-nighters, and trying to figure out the least number of classes required to hit their credit requirement lead up to this moment. But before students go off into the world of “adulting,” their final academic year deserves to be celebrated.
Graduations and senior class activities look different today due to COVID-19. It’s important to find ways to appreciate the senior class so that they’ll become engaged, happy alumni and help solidify the meaningful connections they have made with peers and your institution. Here are five ways to celebrate your seniors, each with a socially distanced twist.
Senior Week
In the “before times”, this week could include off-campus trips to amusement parks, sporting events, wineries, or breweries. On-campus offerings could include resume workshops, senior swag giveaways, and pub trivia events.
For the virtual world:
Use your institution’s social media accounts to host a virtual Senior Week. Assign each day a theme and have students submit entries to win prizes.
For example, you could have What’s Next Wednesday? in which students direct message you or hashtag their plans for after graduation. They can also share how their time at your institution impacted their career aspirations or helped them hone their leadership skills. You could also host T-Shirt Tuesday in which students are encouraged to share pictures of themselves wearing shirts with your institution’s logo or colors.
You could also have students apply to be featured in a Senior Spotlight, by asking them to submit a brief summary of their involvement and some fun facts about themselves, along with a picture! Then highlight a different graduating senior each day for a week on social media.
If you’re able to safely host in-person gatherings, offer passive programs like professional padfolio giveaways for seniors to showcase your institution at their new job or graduate school. Or you can bring a t-shirt press to campus with senior class designs so seniors can show off their institutional pride and accomplishments.
Graduation Ceremony
Celebrate milestones like 100 days, 50 days, or 25 days until graduation by hosting a graduation fair that will help prepare students for the big day. Invite your registrar to do credit checks, your career folks to review resumes, and your cap and gown vendors to showcase items to students. It’s also a great opportunity to loop in your alumni office to make connections with seniors.
For the virtual world:
Video conferencing makes it easy to create virtual fairs. Have each campus office create a link to join their “room” and list them on one central page for the event. Incentivize participation by entering every attendee into a giveaway contest for a diploma frame, a sweatshirt with your institution’s logo, or a gift card for your campus bookstore.
A toast!
A senior class toast is a great way to bring seniors and their families together to celebrate their successes. Host a light reception, invite your president or dean of students to speak, and lead the group in a toast.
The exact words of your toast can become a tradition, especially if they mirror something recited at convocation. To make it extra special, gift each senior a branded champagne flute. To make it extra, extra special for any families in the crowd, gift them a mug or keychain to show off your institution.
For the virtual world:
Many vendors can ship items directly to students’ homes. So, ship champagne flutes, confetti poppers, or ribbon wands to seniors who sign up for your event and come together toast via video conference. Create a fun virtual background for the event and share it ahead of time with participants. If funding is tight, invite students to “BYOB” and toast with a campus-themed mocktail (Panther Punch, Lion Lemonade, etc.) Post the recipe on social media and share it with participants before the event, so they can “cheers” with pride.
Class Apparel
This is a great way to raise money for senior class events or towards the goal for a senior gift campaign. Host a competition wherein students submit designs for class shirts or sweatshirts, then ask the entire class to vote for their favorites. Launch an online sale and make it extra special by allowing students to personalize a sleeve with their major, degree, or name.
For the virtual world:
This is a pretty safe option no matter, no matter what your COVID-19 guidelines entail. Simply utilize a vendor that can ship directly to students’ homes. You can have students show off their swag by submitting photos that you’ll share on social media. You can also sell “Class of” or “Congratulations” lawn signs and window signs so students can show off their accomplishments (and your institutions) in their home neighborhoods.
Alumni Networking
Happy seniors become happy alumni. Connect your newest graduates with your existing alumni network.
One great option is to host a Legacy & Graduation Brunch in which you invite local alumni and honor seniors, along with any family members who have also graduated from your institution. If you have a senior class president, invite them, along with an alum, to give a speech. Host a photo booth with a cap and gown available for students to take pictures with their families, and gift each family a frame.
For the virtual world:
Host a legacy/alumni element during your senior class toast or host a virtual alumni panel with alumni sharing how the institution helped them in their careers. Utilize breakout rooms to connect students in smaller groups with panelists after the general panel so that they can deepen their connection with the panelist and ask for specific advice.
It’s safe to say that seniors did not expect their milestone of graduation to look like this. It’s important to remember that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to recognize and celebrate them, no matter how you do it!
How do you plan to celebrate the Class of 2021? We’d love to hear about your in-person or virtual plans! Connect with us on Twitter @themoderncampus.
