A total of 7,671 graduates, including 31 doctoral and 760 master’s will bid farewell to their alma mater—Tamkang University (TKU) on June 6 to commence another stage of their life. Due to SARS, the school authorities have accepted an advice of the Ministry of Education (MOE) to cancel the formal commencement ceremony scheduled on June 7, 2003.

TKU has decided to hold a diploma/award presentation ceremony instead at the University Commons, Tamsui Campus, at 12:10 pm of June 6. It is the first time TKU cancels the commencement ceremony for the past 52 years since TKU was founded.

With the exception of graduates of doctoral and master’s, the undergraduates of each college will appoint a representative to attend the diploma/award presentation ceremony. President Chang Horng-jinh and deans of colleges will jointly help correct the shawl of graduates’ doctoral gowns. Winners of Citations such as Chairperson of Board of Trustees, Academic Achievement, Behavior, Physical Education and Services will receive the honor in person. All deans of colleges, chairs of departments and directors of graduate institutes and consultants of graduate classes will be invited to take part in the diploma/award presentation ceremony.

In order to ensure the safety of students’ life and safeguard all levels of schools to be free from SARS threat, MOE suggested all levels of schools halt the commencement ceremony. Our school has decided to hold a diploma and award presentation ceremony at the University Commons to replace the indoor ceremony held in the Student Activity Center in the past. At the same time, the campus arrangement and graduation atmosphere will be maintained. President Dr. Chang Horng-jinh said: “It is very beautiful and worthy of recalling the commencement ceremony with younger schoolmates participating in on the campus.”

The would-be graduates of undergraduate division breaking 1,000 are Colleges of Engineering, Business, Management and Foreign Languages and Literature. Of which Colleges of Engineering and of Management break 1,500 students to reach 1,691 and 1,582, respectively.

Meanwhile, are you still feeling bad because the commencement ceremony has been cancelled due to SARS? You will be able to watch live at Sung-tao dormitory food court, the lobby of New Engineering Building and instant food canteen. The home page of TKU will simultaneously relay the diploma/award presentation ceremony held at the University Commons.

Information Processing Center (IPC) will take in charge of televising live while the Multimedia Design Section is in charge of network production. They plan to post the name and photo of each graduate who won the award on the home page of TKU website within this week. The Division of Distance Education will relay the ceremony until it ends. All the contents of the ceremony will be posted on the home page of TKU website for those who fail to attend the ceremony.