We, the graduate batch of Bachelor (Hons) of Quantity Surveying has completed our degree programme in December 2019. We were recently notified that SEGi University has decided to have a virtual graduation ceremony for 2019 graduating students after several postponements. We had our hopes up when a survey regarding students’ preference to have a virtual or physical graduation was circulating and we believed that many of us opted to have a physical graduation ceremony.

We understand that higher education institutions are in the midst of making this difficult decision but we urge that SEGi University would take a different path for the sake of its graduates much like the decisions made by UTM and UKM whom have officially announced hosting a physical graduation ceremony. We believe graduating students deserve the opportunity not only to celebrate their accomplishments, but to do so with their family, friends and loved ones and as a student and alumni of SEGi, it is our prerogative right to protest this virtual graduation and hope for a physical one in place.

Physical graduation is a milestone for every student. Many of us have worked hard for 4 to 6 years and have managed to persevere despite these struggles with the goal of graduation in mind. Taking away a physical graduation ceremony will feel like these efforts are being discounted. Physical graduation, undoubtedly, provides an opportunity for us graduates to celebrate our academic achievements and relish years of our hard work.

Just as importantly, however, graduation allows us as students to recognise the people who got us here. Education is an investment, quite literally, given SEGi’s tuition, and no student is able to get to graduation alone. For us, graduation is a once in a life time moment in which we can recognise, thank and celebrate our families, friends and loved ones. For the past few years, SEGi University has been a shared memory and a community for us and we ask you now to honour that sense of community by allowing us the chance to come together one final time in celebration of our achievements and of the people who have supported us throughout this journey.

Much like you, we did not anticipate this pandemic but we hoped that SEGi University would be creative enough to hold a physical graduation ceremony within the SOPs determined by the government. Perhaps you may refer to the latest update from the government on events with significant crowd. Although COVID-19 has brought upon this circumstances, we would like SEGi University to give us a fair chance to have a physical graduation ceremony and to wait to see how the pandemic and social restrictions evolve before moving ahead with only plans for a virtual graduation.

Whether the graduation ceremony will take place in end of 2021 or early 2022, we are willing to wait and believe that the wait will be worthwhile. Rather than canceling or shifting online, we ask that you postpone our physical graduation ceremony. As we move forward, we are hopeful that the pandemic will ease enough for us to have at least one experience we’ve looked forward to most of our lives and that is our graduation ceremony. We thank you for your consideration and we look forward to hear good news from you.