The Columbia GSAPP Commencement ceremony will be webcast live on Thursday, April 29th from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM EDT. The Pre-Ceremony webcast will begin at 9:30 AM EDT.
GSAPP has partnered with the new and experimental online platform ohyay to create a unique Virtual Ceremony experience on Thursday, April 29th. The event will occur in an online space crafted especially for GSAPP to include the broadcast of the ceremony, as well as interaction with graduates, live on-screen as their names are called, a live feed of the Faculty stage party, and chat with emoji reactions for graduates, faculty, and the audience of family and friends.
Anyone can join on ohyay and the number of guests per graduate is not limited. ohyay is web browser-based and works best on Chrome. A log-in is required, but advanced registration is not.
Graduates will log in using their UNI email address - to be pre-assigned to their virtual seat. There will be a special “green room” for graduates to watch the ceremony together when they are not “on-stage”. Guests will not be visible during the ceremony (i.e., their audio/video will be off), but they can participate in chat and reactions.
Immediately following the ceremony (at approximately 11:15 am EDT), all participants and guests are invited to mingle in the ohyay virtual reception spaces. Here, guests can explore different “rooms,” meeting each other’s families and faculty. These spaces will allow for live audio/video, chat, and emoji reactions.
Advanced instructions for joining the ceremony are now available on ohyay.co/s/GSAPP2021. For those who choose not to participate on ohyay, the webcast will be available directly on the GSAPP website as well as on GSAPP’s YouTube Channel; no reservations or accounts will be required of any graduate or guest. There is no limit to the number of viewers for the webcast. Immediately following the webcast the video will be available to download by graduates in the Lionmail Google Drive, as well as on Panopto and YouTube for streaming.
On Saturday, May 1st between 1:00-6:00pm, GSAPP graduates are invited to experience the Grad Walk hosted by GradImages on Butler Lawn, immediately followed by GSAPP celebrations on the upper campus where graduates will receive a small gift from the GSAPP Alumni Office. Faculty and students will be able to gather for a limited time in groups of 25 or less across Schermerhorn, Havemeyer, and Fairchild Plazas and are invited to stop by the GSAPP Pavilion on Avery Plaza.
Participants must follow the Columbia Health Compact and show their ID and green pass/screen upon arrival. Masks and social distancing are required. Registration is required for the Grad Walk. Guests are not permitted to attend. Graduates are not required to participate in the Grad Walk to attend the celebration. Graduates are encouraged to sign up for a Grad Walk appointment before or during the celebration time period for their program.
1:00 PM - Historic Preservation & Real Estate Development
2:30 PM - Master of Architecture
3:30 PM - Advanced Architectural Design
4:30 PM - Urban Planning & UP PhD
5:00 PM - Architecture and Urban Design
5:15 PM - Critical Curatorial and Conceptual Practices & Arch PhD
Graduates who are not able to attend the on-campus celebrations will have the opportunity to participate in an exciting virtual booth available to all graduates from April 26-30 (details will be shared soon) and will be mailed their gift from the Alumni Office. Please email commencement@arch.columbia.edu if you did not provide your mailing address on the graduate form, but would like to receive the package.
Date and Time: Saturday, May 1st, 2021, 1:00 - 6:00 PM EDT
Location: Underneath the Tent at the Bulter Lawn, Morningside Campus
Registration: Register on the Grad Images Website
Class of 2021! Strike a pose, get photographed, access selfie stations, and receive fun giveaways at the Morningside campus Grad Walk. Wear your regalia and come ready for a professional photoshoot on Butler Lawn. Digital and printed photographs will be available for purchase from GradImages.
Photo Stations
○ Selfie Stations with celebratory decor and props
○ Center Stage with Low Library as live backdrop
○ International Flags
○ Columbia University Step and Repeat backdrop
COVID Safety Protocols
○ The GradImages reservation system will allow 12 graduating students per 15-minute intervals.
○ Graduates must register in advance, wear their own cap & gown, show their ID upon arrival to verify their appointment plus their Columbia University Green Pass. The check-in process will be completely touchless.
○ Graduates will queue up in front of Butler Library.
○ All Graduates will be required to keep their masks on for all photos.
○ To maintain social distancing and prevent crowds from gathering, students will be encouraged to arrive no more than five minutes before their reservation time.
Contact for GradImages with any questions via email or by phone (800) 261-2576.
Columbia Global Centers cordially invite all graduates of 2021 to come to the Beijing Center and Columbia-designated WeWork space in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong to celebrate your accomplishments and share your memories at Columbia with your fellows.
During the event, there will be professional portrait photographer and various graduation kits available to you, including gowns and caps, Columbia mascots (Roar Lion), graduation booth props and balloons.
We can’t wait to see you in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong, and to walk you through the end of academic year and cheer to a new start for your future life.
Please be reminded that all students graduating from the Master of Architecture, Advanced Architectural Design, or Urban Design programs must submit a portfolio of representative work from each semester of studio in order to graduate.
Master of Architecture Portfolios must be submitted by Thursday, April 22 at 5:00 PM (EDT). This is a strict deadline. Portfolios will also be used to assist the Faculty Awards Committee in determining the recipients of the various design prizes awarded to graduates.
Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design and Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design portfolios will be due in August 2021. This does not impact the ability of any GSAPP graduate to participate in April 2021 Commencement events.
Graduates are invited to join the Columbia University online alumni directory. Take advantage of this valuable lifelong networking resource. Reach out to a former classmate, network with alumni in your region, share life updates and accomplishments, or offer up your expertise and thought leadership to others.
The Online Alumni Community is the only verified space to search for and connect with fellow Columbia alumni across Schools, degrees, graduation years, regions, interests, and more. Login in with your UNI at the Columbia University Alumni website.
The Columbia University Commencement ceremony of the 267th academic year will be webcast live on Friday, April 30th, at 10:30am EDT.
Additional information about the University ceremony is available on the Columbia University Commencement website.
Graduates are invited to access the Graduation Kit online here or sign up to receive one by mail via this form.