October 22, 2020
Dear Cougar Community:
After careful consideration, University leadership has made the decision to
celebrate our fall 2020 graduates in a virtual commencement ceremony on
December 12. In the end, canceling our in‑person celebration in the interest
of keeping our graduates and their families safe outweighed our wishes to hold
a traditional commencement exercise.
Reaching this significant life milestone is an occasion that merits a
celebratory gathering of everyone involved in the successful pursuit of a
college degree: family, other loved ones, faculty, staff, and administrators.
Please know that our commencement team is hard at work planning a memorable
virtual ceremony. Details about the event have been posted. We hope all of you
will join us on December 12 to honor our newest Cougar alumni.
Meanwhile, we remain steadfast in protecting the health of the entire
Cougar community. We look forward to a post‑pandemic future in which we can
watch our graduates walk across the stage, shake their hand, and hand them
their diploma.
Best regards,
Kirk Schulz
President
Elizabeth Chilton
Provost and Executive Vice President
