Online students receive ‘Commencement in a Box’ | The Triangle

Online students receive ‘Commencement in a Box’

Photograph courtesy of Drexel University Online
Photograph courtesy of Vivianna Bermudez, Drexel University Online

A packing party was held May 16 to assemble over 500 Commencement Boxes for online students that will not be able to attend graduation this year.

The packing party was a two hour long event held in the multi-purpose room of North Hall from 2 to 4 p.m. It was hosted by Drexel University Online. On-campus students were encouraged to help, and those in attendance were able to meet the Drexel mascot, Mario, and have a free pizza lunch.

Each “Commencement in a Box” contained a mortar board and tassel, a bumper sticker, a pin, a pen and a gift from the student’s specific college. These boxes will be sent to students who cannot travel to Philadelphia to partake in the in-person graduation ceremony on June 12 and 13.

This is the second year that this event was held, and was originally started as a way to connect the online and on-campus students.

“We are excited to launch yet another new tradition that encourages on-campus students to help their online peers celebrate this amazing milestone no matter where they are located,” Susan Aldridge, Drexel’s senior vice president for online learning, said.

Drexel University has over 7,000 online students from every state in the U.S. and more than 30 countries worldwide. The online program started in 1996 and currently offers over 140 degree and certificate programs.

“Drexel University Online is committed to supporting and celebrating Drexel’s online students throughout their student experience with us, which includes commencement,” Aldridge said.

The on-campus commencement spans two days, June 12 and 13, at various locations on campus and around Philadelphia. Each college has their own ceremony and a university-wide commencement will be held at Citizen’s Bank Park at 7:30 p.m. June 13.