Odessa College plans spring 2021 commencement

Odessa College 2021 Spring Commencement ceremonies will allow graduates to participate in person for the first time since COVID-19 drastically changed the educational landscape in March of 2020.

Social distancing will limit the number of seats available for the ceremonies in the OC Sports Center and the wearing of masks will still be required. Graduation will have a slightly different appearance than in the past: the graduates will participate in person, and friends and family will be invited to view virtually via live stream on the Odessa College YouTube page, a news release said.

Commencement for graduates receiving the bachelor of applied arts and sciences degree, School of Business and Industry associate and certificate degrees, and those students who successfully completed the Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency (TxCHSE – GED) will begin at 6 p.m. Friday.

Commencement for graduates of the School of Liberal Arts and Education and the School of Health Sciences will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

To mitigate the spread and unpredictability of the COVID-19 virus, Odessa College continues to follow the CDC guidelines. The college’s screening and sanitization protocols significantly reduce exposure to the virus in learning and student support spaces.