Graduation Postponement

SUBJECT: POSTPONEMENT OF THE GRADUATION CEREMONY

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, iQ Academy Leadership has taken the unfortunate decision to indefinitely postpone the April 2020 graduation ceremony.

The institution has not taken this decision lightly, and we understand the importance of such an event in the lives of our students and their families and our faculty employees. However, the possible risk to the health and safety of our students and employees is far greater. As an organisation, we must act responsibly and play our part in preventing the spread of this virus.

President Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster, on Sunday 15 March 2020, and the South African government will be implementing various measures to address the potential risk and spread of the virus. A critical part of the national disaster plan was that gatherings of 100 or more people are prohibited, and we expected well more than 450 individuals to attend our autumn graduation ceremony this year.

iQ Academy will communicate with affected students in the coming months should the decision be to go ahead with the graduation ceremonies in the near future. With the indefinite postponement of the graduation ceremonies, the awarding of certificates will be done in absentia. The Registrar’s office will issue certificates and academic transcripts to students who have met the requirements to successfully graduate. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and wish our students and their families good health during this uncertain period we are faced within South Africa.

We as an institution have and will align our responses to the advice of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) (www.nicd.ac.za), the various protocols being implemented by the South African government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) (https://www.who.int/). We have formed a COVID-19 health and safety response team that will monitor and advise on current and future measures.

We urge all our students, their families and our employees to practice preventative measures and ensure we stay informed and are empowered with the right information. Here are some key reference sites to assist you.
http://www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-index/covid-19/frequently-asked-questions/
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters

Once again, we apologise for any inconvenience caused and wish our students and their families good health during this uncertain period we are faced within South Africa.

Yours faithfully

Ernst Kriek
CEO