Class of 2020 awaits update to commencement ceremony ‘like no other in our history’

Ali Gold | Senior Editor

A committee tasked with devising alternate plans for the 2020 Commencement ceremony is aiming to release updates by early May. The committee, appointed by Chancellor Andrew Martin, includes student representatives and deans from across the University, and is chaired by Chancellor Emeritus Mark Wrighton.

Courtesy of Derek Bruton

The December 2019 Degree Candidate Recognition Ceremony.

Commencement was originally scheduled for May 15, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“At Washington University, commencement is the greatest day of the year on the Danforth campus, when we get to celebrate all of our students and their accomplishments,” Dean of Students Rob Wild said. “So, the decision the Chancellor and University leadership had to make to cancel the in-person Commencement exercises on May 15 was very difficult.”

Wild says administrators are currently discussing several options, for instance, a ceremony hosted in the fall or a combined commencement and alumni weekend hosted next spring. He also says there will likely be an in-person or remote ceremony on May 15.

“Many of the University’s schools have expressed interest in taking the lead on school virtual ceremonies,” Director of Commencement Michelle Gelven said. “I do know that several of the schools are working hard to plan virtual commencement ceremonies for the students.”

Gelven says student feedback will play an essential role in establishing the final plans.

“We have been receiving student feedback through various sources, and student representatives will definitely play an important role on the committee and in the decision-making process,” Gelven said. “We believe that student input from our diverse student body is really important.”

Some students initially expressed confusion at the University’s commencement plans following Chancellor Martin’s March 16 email, which first announced the cancellation. A Google Forms petition—started by students—called for the University to commit to a postponed in-person ceremony. The petition gained 1,000 signatures in less than one day from students, their families and their friends.

“I understood why this was happening, but there was also no mention of a postponement or anything else, and it just didn’t seem right,” senior Michelle Pacheco said. “Although this is out of everyone’s control, we deserve to be recognized in some form, and knowing we weren’t going to get anything was a hard blow. I have literally been looking forward to this moment since I understood the weight of my parents’ sacrifice for me to get to this step in life.”

A March 31 email from Interim Provost Marion Crain and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Lori White committed to an in-person Commencement ceremony to be held at a later date.

Wild and Gelven both say that one of the biggest challenges of rescheduling Commencement has been adapting to rapidly changing local, state, and federal guidelines. Both underscore the importance of prioritizing health and safety during the pandemic.

“We received lots of feedback from students and families. Most people were understanding, but obviously it’s very disappointing. People have worked very hard to complete their degree requirements,” Wild said. “To have that ceremony and celebration taken away is sad and difficult. I think people understand the gravity of the circumstances we face, but lots and lots of disappointment and sadness were the primary responses.”

Many families have also directly corresponded with administration.

Anne Veis’s oldest son graduated from Washington University in 2016, and her daughter was planning to graduate in May. On March 9, as the pandemic ramped up, she and her husband emailed University administrators to encourage them to consider postponing, as opposed to cancelling, the Commencement ceremony. She says she was “very happy” to hear back quickly via email.

“Between my two children, having attended two convocations and one graduation, I know how seriously Wash. U. takes its ceremonies and how much care they put into making these celebrations meaningful for their students and their families,” Veis said. “I trust the administration takes into consideration the needs of the students for closure and community and class cohesion as well as the needs of their family members in acknowledging the commencement of this chapter of their lives. I think they know that the social piece and the significance of these milestones are important, and I think they will do right by students and families.”

Pacheco is looking forward to seeing what the University has in store beyond the virtual recognition on May 15.

“I really hope that we can still have [an in-person] ceremony once this is over,” Pacheco said. “That would be something I would want, but again I do recognize that many would not be able to attend. I would like it to be just [the] class of 2020, as we deserve our own ceremony just as everyone else. So, ideally just postponing walking the stage until this is over and it could happen would be what I’d like it to look like.”

The University is currently making plans for distributing diplomas, and is contemplating how to go about obtaining other items, such as caps and gowns.

“It makes things really challenging due to the fact that many of these businesses that provide us with commencement supplies and different businesses we partner with are not operating at full capacity,” Gelven said. “In some instances, they are even shut down because they are nonessential businesses.”

Regardless of what the ceremony looks like, Wild emphasizes, the current class will earn their Washington University degrees as planned, enabling them to apply to graduate programs and jobs.

“We’re disappointed, too,” Wild says. “For faculty and staff at the University, this is certainly as much a celebration for us as for students. Once we are able to develop a plan here, the celebration for the class of 2020 is going to be like no other in our history. We just don’t know what that’s going to be yet. This class is experiencing a tremendous moment in the history of our world.”

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