February 17, 2021
Dear Members of the Class of 2021,
I know that Commencement has been on your minds since you returned to campus for the spring semester, as it has been on ours. I want you to know that we continue to plan for an in-person Commencement ceremony of some kind this May. Health and safety precautions will determine precisely what is possible. We want to celebrate your graduation and your accomplishments in person as much as you want to be together.
We hope that we will be able to gather students safely, while observing distancing and other public health protocols, because you will have been together for the semester participating in regular surveillance testing and adhering to other health and safety measures. However, in an effort to keep everyone safe, we have made a few changes to our plans:
- Commencement will be held Friday, May 21, 2021. We have moved our celebration date up by one week to the Friday following finals week in order to mitigate the risks presented by students traveling and then returning to campus.
- The ceremony will take place outside. At this time, we plan to hold the ceremony for your entire class on Fitton Field.
It is not clear yet whether we will be able to welcome families or guests to participate in person. Our priority is to gather students. Seniors who are studying remotely this semester will be able to participate, and will receive more information soon about how they may do so. We will continue to update you via our Commencement website and email communications.
We are planning for a robust broadcast and livestream of the event, as there will be family members and friends who are unable to attend in person.
We will continue to work with your class officers and representatives to plan a meaningful ceremony and fitting celebrations of your accomplishments. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.
I look forward to celebrating with you all.
Sincerely,
Philip L. Boroughs, S.J.
President