On Friday, June 23rd, it was communicated to the graduating bachelor’s Class of 2023 that the graduation ceremony, originally scheduled to take place at the Aula Magna in Segovia, would have to be moved to the auditorium at the Tower.
This was in response to the technical report communicated with the university on Thursday, June 22nd, strongly recommending alternative plans be made for the upcoming graduation ceremonies. The Aula Magna (built in the 15-16th centuries) is typically repaired on a yearly basis, to address the damages caused by the harsh weather conditions in Segovia over the winter, and to prepare for the annual graduations over the Summer. Due to delayed maintenance caused by heavy and extensive rains throughout Spring, the annual repairs were forced to begin later.
The report identified that given the limited number of days before the graduation ceremonies were to begin, the risk of repairs not being ready in time was too high. This risk would come as a result of the intensity of the numerous graduation ceremonies with 700 attendees, the materials required for the ceremony such as speakers and stage set-up, and the resulting humidity in the air of 700 people in an enclosed space.
Please note, this risk assessment is restricted to the Aula Magna, and only in the case of it being densely populated over the various days. The rest of the Segovia campus remains fully operational and is undergoing renovations to be ready for September!
As a result, the university was faced with two options: host the graduating ceremonies on the Segovia campus on the football field, in ventilated tents, with a maximum capacity of 500 people each, or relocated to Madrid with sufficient space. The issue identified in Segovia would have been that the dates, times and attendees of the ceremonies would have to be rearranged due to the reduction of attendance possibilities from 500 to 700 people. This would have involved greater complications, such as the potential changing of flights. As such, the second option was chosen to minimise the inconvenience caused, ensuring that planned graduation dates and times remain unchanged.
To best facilitate the change in venue, the university has provided transportation options from Segovia to Madrid, and back, for those who choose to stay in Segovia overnight. To sign up for this service, the form (hyperlink will require you to sign in to IE Connects) sent to the graduating students’ emails must be submitted by Wednesday, June 28th, 10 am.
Despite the unforeseen circumstances, the IE Graduation Team is working hard to ensure a most memorable celebration of our graduating student’s successes. Their priority is the safety and comfort of our guests. Thank you for your patience, congratulations on your successful completion of your bachelor’s at IE!
For any further questions, please contact graduation@ie.edu.
