Ultimate Medical Academy Hosts Virtual Graduation Ceremony for Students in Online Healthcare Associate and Diploma Programs

TAMPA, Fla., May 18, 2012 – Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) recently hosted a virtual graduation ceremony for students of its online healthcare associate and diploma programs. The event, which was the first of its kind for the Florida-based healthcare school, was held Saturday, April 21, 2012, via the INXPO® virtual event platform. More than 500 graduates, guests, and UMA faculty and staff attended the online commencement.

All graduates were invited to walk in UMA’s Spring commencement ceremony, which was held at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa on March 31, 2012. Those who were unable to attend the physical graduation ceremony had the option to participate in the online commencement, and were encouraged to invite family and friends to join them for the free event.

“UMA’s online healthcare associate and diploma programs draw students from across the state and around the country. While our graduation ceremonies have always been well attended by students from our Tampa and Clearwater campuses, as well as online students within the Tampa Bay region, we realize that it can be difficult for students who live outside the area to travel here for their commencement,” said Tina Stavredes, UMA’s Vice President of Online Education. “So we decided to offer a virtual graduation ceremony as a way to celebrate the achievements of all our online healthcare program graduates, no matter where they live and to give these dedicated scholars the recognition they deserve.”

The interactive event included a video presentation as well as several live chat rooms. Graduates were able to communicate with other attendees in the main chat room, connect with Career Services specialists in a second dedicated chat room and participate in a question-and-answer session with student advisors and UMA’s financial aid team in the third chat room. During the ceremony, the name of each graduate was displayed on screen, prompting fellow students, guests, and UMA faculty and staff to extend congratulations and good wishes to the new graduates.

“The virtual graduation ceremony proved to be a tremendous success for UMA,” noted Stavredes. “There was a high level of interest when we initially announced the event, and the feedback we received during and after the pilot ceremony has been overwhelmingly positive. Based on these enthusiastic responses, we already have plans to host more virtual graduation ceremonies in the future, along with other online events for both students and graduates.”

The Spring graduation ceremony was open to students who completed their online programs between September 1, 2011, and February 29, 2012. Those who qualify after March 1, 2012, will be eligible to attend UMA’s Fall graduation ceremony.