Notre Dame will again defer in-person commencement for the class of 2020, University President Fr. John Jenkins announced Wednesday.
The in-person commencement ceremony for the class of 2020 was initially rescheduled to take place Memorial Day weekend of 2021, after the pandemic forced campus to close last spring. With COVID-19 cases still surging, Jenkins said the administration does not believe it is possible to safely host graduation for the class of 2020 as originally planned.
“Celebrating the class of 2020 is challenging, because members of the class, their families and guests must all travel to the region from various parts of the nation and the globe,” Jenkins said.
The University will instead host an in-person commencement ceremony for those who received undergraduate degrees in 2020 during the summer of 2022. Individual schools within the University will be in charge of celebrating alumni who earned doctoral, masters or professional degrees in 2020.
Commencement for the class of 2021, however, will proceed as planned on campus with health and safety protocols in place. Jenkins cited the weekly surveillance testing and other current health regulations students must abide by over the course of the semester as reasoning to host commencement as planned. He also said a limited number of family members and guests may be welcome on campus as well.
“We will assess the situation as the date draws closer and keep you informed,” Jenkins said.
