Dear Class of 2020,
We are so proud of all your achievements during these extremely difficult and challenging times. On June 18, after weeks of exhaustive, detailed work, the President’s COVID-19 Task Force released its summary of a “return to campus” plan. This served as a preview of a more detailed report to be submitted to the State Council of Higher Education next week. The plan includes a variety of measures to contain the spread of the virus, including physical distancing on campus for the fall semester.
Unfortunately, with these measures in place, the rescheduled October 24 Commencement cannot take place. Ball Circle will not be able to physically accommodate the number of people anticipated for Commencement. We all are disappointed. Realizing COVID-19 would likely continue to confound us, we had already set a back-up to our back-up Commencement date: May 6, 2021.
We are moving forward with plans for that date, but we first want to check in with each of you. In these circumstances, would you still prefer an in-person ceremony in May, or would you rather have a virtual ceremony this fall? If you prefer in-person in May, what key elements of commencement do you want to ensure we include?
Please complete this Class of 2020 survey so that we will know your preferences.
Best,
The 2020 Commencement Committee