University of Houston pivots to completely virtual graduation ceremony Photo courtesy of University of Houston Philip Ahern, 80, is UH's oldest grad. Photo courtesy of University of Houston College graduations are usually a time when friends and classmates huddle together, snap pics, and toss their square hats into the air to toast the end of an academic career. But this is no usual year, thanks to the global pandemic. To that end, the University of Houston has announced that its university-wide commencement will pivot to an all-virtual affair on Thursday, December 17 at 7 pm, the school announced. Some 11,071 degrees will be conferred for graduates of the 2020 spring, summer, and fall semesters. The ceremony can be viewed here.