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Jan. 27, 2021 – Class of 2020 Commencement Update

Posted by on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 in Community Messages.

Dear 2020 graduates and families,

Your class demonstrated tremendous resilience as you faced unique disappointments, positively adapted to new challenges and entered the professional world in a time like no other in our society. We hope you are continuing to draw from the enduring skills and supportive community you built here.

We are all looking forward to celebrating our graduates this May and hope that will include a chance to welcome you back to campus to recognize your Commencement in person. However, we are acutely aware of the challenge to public health brought on by the ongoing pandemic. We are monitoring developing conditions under the expert guidance of local, state and national public health authorities and are exploring all possibilities for celebrating you and your fellow graduates in a way that safeguards health and safety to the greatest extent possible.

In the coming weeks, we will announce more details about official plans to celebrate 2020 graduates this May. We appreciate the work of the 2020 Graduating Student Committee in gathering the input you provided last spring, and we will continue to engage this committee in making this May’s celebration unique to your class. We are grateful for your patience as we explore scenarios that will prioritize our commitment to honoring your accomplishments while protecting health and safety as much as possible.

Thank you, and we look forward to being in touch again soon.

Daniel Diermeier
Chancellor

Susan R. Wente
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs