University confirms in-person commencement ceremonies for classes of 2020 & 2021
Graphic by Isabella Herrera
Four in-person commencement ceremonies will be held over two days for the classes of 2020 and 2021, the university announced last Friday in an email distributed to graduating students. The ceremonies will take place on Friday, May 21, and Saturday, May 22.
“We've been exploring various options for the past few months,” Dean Pribbenow, vice president of academic affairs, told The Leader.
To incorporate student input in the commencement plans, the university reached out to the campus community using methods such as online surveys, according to Pribbenow.
The administration is prepared to notify students of alternate commencement arrangements if there are adjustments to CDC and local guidelines for group gatherings in the near future.
“If we need to quickly pivot to a different structure, we are prepared to do so,” stated Pribbenow, acknowledging the volatile nature of the pandemic.
The university is working on forming a partnership with a marketing company to improve communication with students about commencement by enhancing social media presence. “We anticipate learning some things from this year's ceremonies that will help us in the future,” added Pribbenow.
Students are asked to complete an RSVP, which will be emailed this week, for their respective ceremony. The ceremonies will host graduates on the basis of academic programs.
Graduates will be allowed to invite no more than two guests to the ceremonies, which will take place on the University Mall. The university will issue wristbands that guests must wear to be permitted on the Mall.
All attendees will be appropriately social-distanced from one another and are required to wear masks. Due to social distancing guidelines, the ceremonies will not be held indoors in the case of inclement weather.
The ceremonies will be available for remote viewing through live-streams for additional family and friends who wish to watch graduates walk for commencement.
Further details for the university’s commencement plans will be finalized over the following weeks.
