Hi,

Our MOT program let students walk in May but they didn’t get their diploma until after Level 2B was done in late June. Students knew what to expect and didn’t have a problem with it. A few students each year chose not to come back for the ceremony if they were far away for fieldwork, but most came to it.

Tara Ruppert, OTD, OTR/L, CHT
Associate Professor
Program Director of Occupational Therapy
College of Saint Mary

On Jan 24, 2023, at 3:44 PM, AOTA ot-pd List <ot-pd@aotalists.org> wrote:


Good afternoon, colleagues. For programs that end in the summer, do you have your students attend the graduation ceremony in May (letting students know they still must pass fieldwork before officially graduating)?

Or, do you hold the ceremony in the summer at the end of the term (or another time)?

We will end in a summer term. Some would like for OT to have the graduation ceremony with all the other programs. Others worry about liability if a student 'walks' but then fails a FW placement in the summer term. We know we could have them walk and receive just a piece of paper and then receive their official diploma when they successfully complete all degree requirements, but some still have concerns.

I was curious if any other who have negotiated this issue have any insights to share.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts,

Heather

Heather Fritz, Ph.D., OTR/L, CHC
Associate Professor and Founding Director, School of Occupational Therapy
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences
200 University Parkway, Yakima WA 98901
Associate Editor, OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research
www.pnwu.edu
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella

*Messages are often composed using voice-to-text technology. Please excuse typos.

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