The following message is from Yashwant Prakash Vyas, assistant director of diversity resources and president of the Alpha Tau Chapter of Phi Beta Delta:

Greetings – I hope you are well. On behalf of the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, International Programs, and campus partners, I am writing to share that the registration for the inaugural International Student Affinity Graduation is now open!  

All international students (irrespective of their degree level) graduating either in Spring 2021 or Summer 2021 terms are eligible to participate. If you are interested in participating, please register using the Spring 2021 International Student Affinity Graduation Form. The deadline to register is March 21, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. CST. This is a hard deadline to ensure that recognition materials are ordered and distributed in a timely fashion. Thus, we are unable to accommodate late registrations.  

This affinity graduation will not replace the formal university graduation ceremony that all graduating students attend separately. Affinity celebrations, like this one, celebrate the perseverance and achievement in the face of historic and ongoing exclusion and marginalization. This is a complimentary event to celebrate the collective experience and achievements of participating international students, to celebrate international educational interchange, and to be in community.        

Participating students will be recognized by reading of their names to the group gathered. They will learn from a speaker. They will also receive a recognition letter and graduation cords, which can be worn during the university graduation ceremony.    

This celebration is scheduled for May 4, 2021, from 7 - 8 p.m. CST and will be held virtually due to the current public health crisis. Please direct any questions you may have to me at yashwant-vyas@uiowa.edu.