Dear Campus Community,
Commencement is one of the best events of the year and recognizes the incredible accomplishments of our students as well as the communities that support our students’ success including staff and faculty members, families and friends. Because our campus will continue remote instruction through summer, we will not be able to come together as we traditionally do in June for in-person celebrations. Like you, I am disappointed, especially because commencement on our campus is not just about degree conferral – there are many departmental, divisional, and community-based celebrations that mark this special time and will need to be put on hold in the interest of public health.
We have developed a survey for students nearing graduation to collect their feedback on how they would like to celebrate. The survey also asks students to rank the most important characteristics of an alternative ceremony given the facility limitations on our campus. I have also asked our Commencement 2020 Working Group and a Steering Committee to take on the many questions surrounding mounting alternative celebrations in-person and remotely.
One of our Principles of Community is that we be “celebrative.” I am looking forward to celebrating the successes of our 2020 graduates, to honoring our campus traditions, and to creating new ways to come together and celebrate.
Sincerely,
Cindy
