Students at Liverpool John Moores University have been left devastated after being told their graduation ceremonies are being cancelled on the same day coronavirus restrictions have been lifted.
Emails sent to students today from the university confirmed that previously planned ceremonies would not take place this year and would be moved back to 2022.
In a statement posted on its website, LJMU said “the ongoing impact of Covid-19 in the Liverpool City Region” meant it was not possible for them to hold the ceremonies in 2021.
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Social media posts announcing the cancellations have been replied to by dozens of angry students and parents.
Many voiced disappointment after a year which had been extremely difficult for many students.
Speaking to the ECHO, Computer Security student Liam Moy labelled the decision “pathetic” and said the timing of the announcement had been particularly disappointing.
He said: “The ceremonies were cancelled last year and that was completely fair enough, they were following the government rules in place at the time.
“I just feel like they have taken the easy route out by cancelling now.
“There are loads of people whose student accommodation here expires in the next few months and they’re leaving the city then.
“I’ve had goodbye drinks with people who’ve said they won’t be coming back if graduation is postponed any further. People just aren’t going to bother.
“I just think the way they’ve done this is pathetic.”
In a statement to the ECHO, Janet Martin, chair of LJMU’s Graduation Planning Group, said the decision to cancel was not made lightly but doing so ensured that students and families struggling to get refunds for travel and accommodation would be able to do so.
She reaffirmed the university’s commitment to holding celebrations next year.
Ms Martin said: “Everyone at LJMU wants to celebrate with the students who have finished their degrees over the last two years. And we will, but we’ve made the difficult decision to wait until 2022.
“With cases rising, uncertainty over the lifting of restrictions, and the difficulty of finding venues for potentially 40,000 people over a two week period, we are simply not confident that we can hold a safe event worthy of our students at this moment in time.
“So we have decided to cancel our plans to hold any events in 2021, which also helps those who are trying to get refunds from travel and accommodation companies.
“We don’t know what future events will look like, or when we can hold them. But for clarity, we will organise a celebration for our students because it is so important to everyone at LJMU.”
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