September 27, 2020
UW’s 37th annual New Student Convocation goes online
University of Washington faculty member Ian Schnee, associate teaching professor in the Department of Philosophy, was the featured speaker at the UW’s 37th annual New Student Convocation. The virtual ceremony was held Sept. 27 and was livestreamed to audiences around the world. A recording is available here.
The annual Convocation welcomes the entering class of undergraduates and graduate students, and officially marks the beginning of the academic year. Classes start Sept. 30. The UW announced last month that about 90% of classes will be held remotely.
The academic ceremony was led by Joseph Janes, associate professor in the UW’s Information School and university marshal, carrying the university mace. President Ana Mari Cauce, Provost Mark Richards, Vice President for Student Life Denzil Suite, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs Ed Taylor joined Schnee to complete the stage party, which was limited due to COVID-19 precautions. Sydney Belden, an incoming student in the School of Music, sang the national anthem.
Fast facts:
- Preliminary figures show the incoming freshman class will be about 7,000 students
- Around 4,450 incoming students are from Washington
- An additional 1,500 transfer students are expected to arrive this fall, including 1,300 who are transferring from Washington community colleges
- UW Bothell and UW Tacoma also welcomed their incoming classes remotely with 1,500 incoming students expected on each campus
