By Katie Oglesby, Assistant News Editor
President Bob Iuliano announced Monday that Commencement, originally set for May 17, has been postponed.
With the switch to remote learning due to health concerns around the coronavirus, questions had arisen about the status of Commencement. Now, Iuliano has addressed that, leaving space for questions about what this then means for seniors who may still wish to receive their diplomas in front of their families and friends.
In his email, President Iuliano noted that seniors will still receive their diplomas and officially be Gettysburg College graduates as of May 17. However, whether or not there will be an online or in-person ceremony at a later date to celebrate this has yet to be determined.
Members of the Class of 2020 were instructed to fill out a survey giving their ideas by April 6.
The survey gives options of an online ceremony, an in-person ceremony later, or room for a student to suggest something else. It also gives three suggested dates for an in-person ceremony: August 2020, Fall 2020, or May 2021. Then, it instructs students to rate Commencement activities (including events such as Commencement itself, Spring Honors Day, and more) in order of importance to them.
In the email, President Iuliano affirmed the importance of Commencement to students’ friends and families. Unfortunately, as he noted, the health risks of the coronavirus still remain, and the College didn’t see that they would be lifted in time for such a large ceremony bringing people from all over the globe.
“Class of 2020, thank you,” wrote President Iuliano. “I cannot imagine a better group of students to have helped shepherd me through my first year at the College. I cannot imagine a more optimistic or resilient group, one I’ve watched in admiration adapt to a world that has changed in dramatic ways over the past several months.”
