THE University of Cumbria has announced it will be delivering a week of graduation ceremonies in Carlisle Cathedral for classes of 2020 and 2021.  

These classes will host the university’s first graduations since November 2019.

2,700 graduands will be attending the five days’ worth of ceremonies, during which 17 ceremonies will take place in the heart of Carlisle’s Historic Quarter.  

Starting April 25, these special Spring ceremonies celebrate the achievements of those who successfully completed and graduated from their academic programmes of study in 2020 and 2021.  

Accompanied by their families, friends and loved one, these graduands will include those who studied programmes in academic fields from the arts, education, health, science and environment, and business, industry, and leadership.  

Delivering higher education to students in more than 100 countries, many international students will also be making the trip to celebrate, as will staff and students from the university’s campuses in Carlisle, Ambleside, Barrow, Lancaster, and London.

Completing their courses in 2020 and 2021, the pandemic has prevented these graduands coming together to celebrate until now.  

University of Cumbria Vice Chancellor Professor Julie Mennell is thrilled to be fulfilling a promise she made to these graduands, that they would get to enjoy a full graduation experience once measures and guidance allowed for such large-scale events to take place.  

The week will also see the official inauguration of the University of Cumbria’s new Chancellor, The Most Revd & Rt Hon Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York, and the awarding of Alumnus of the Year to Kerryann Wilson, who has been recognised nationally in the Pearson Teaching Awards for her impact and success at Energy Coast UTC in west Cumbria.