An FOI request obtained by Brig suggests an estimated 30.7% of eligible 2020 and 2021 graduates attended an in-person graduation ceremony last month.
6,900 graduates from 2020 and 2021 were eligible to attend a graduation ceremony, of those an estimated 2,123 graduates attended, which was higher than the university expected.
Comparatively, estimated attendance at in-person graduation ceremonies for 2022 graduates was consistently over 70% of those eligible, also higher than the university had anticipated.
There are a number of potential explanations for these attendance figures, which are estimates, including employment commitments, caring responsibilities, or students may have left the Stirling area or Scotland and are now living somewhere else.
In-person graduations returned last month, with 2020 and 2021 in-person graduations which had been previously postponed due to the pandemic taking place on the week beginning June 21. Graduation ceremonies for 2022 graduates took place a week later on June 27th.
The university holds graduation ceremonies in November and April in addition to the graduation ceremonies which take place in June.
When students leave the university, they are asked to provide a contact email address to remain updated about university events such as graduations.
Commenting on the data obtained within the FOI, a spokesperson for the University of Stirling said: “Around 4,000 graduates – from 2020, 2021 and 2022 – celebrated their achievements alongside their families and friends at the University’s summer graduations.
“Ten ceremonies were held across a two-week period in June, and we were delighted with the turnout and the feedback from graduates and their guests.”
The spokesperson continued: “We were especially pleased by the number of 2020 and 2021 graduates who returned to campus for their ceremonies, with final acceptances higher than our original planning estimation.
“We recognise though that, for many graduates, returning to Stirling for graduation may not have been possible due to their personal circumstances. However, we again send our warmest congratulations to those graduates – and everyone who graduated over the last fortnight.”
Featured Image Credit: University of Stirling
