Dear Class of 2020,
We are writing today to provide you with an update on the university’s planned August 30 Commencement ceremony to celebrate you, our 2020 Marquette University graduates. In the most prudent interests of public health, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all in-person Commencement events for the year. Based on student survey feedback this spring, there are no plans to hold a virtual event.
Though our great hope was to bring you the celebratory rite of passage you deserve, public health guidance and local government orders — including event capacity limits and travel restrictions — made it unfeasible to host an in-person ceremony befitting the stature of a proper Marquette Commencement.
Nevertheless, it is important that we still celebrate you and your families. To that end, the Commencement planning team has continued its thoughtful and diligent work so that we can still celebrate this month and also bring you a special event to come together with friends and classmates next year.
Here’s what’s in store:
- Join Rev. James Voiss, S.J., vice president for mission and ministry, for a virtual Mass in honor of the Class of 2020 at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020. The Mass will be livestreamed and archived on the Mission at Marquette Facebook page.
- Post a graduation photo to the online collage! Starting Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, include #MUGRAD2020 in a publicly facing post to Instagram or Twitter in your Marquette or academic regalia to see your photo join the hundreds of others in our online mosaic celebrating the Class of 2020! You will be able to view the mosaic online when it goes live on August 28.
- For those of you still planning to celebrate on August 30, the Marquette community will honor the Class of 2020 with a special video featuring some familiar faces from around campus. We will share the video via email and on the Commencement website — watch for it!
- Please SAVE THE DATE for a special One-Year Reunion, Friday, June 4, to Sunday, June 6, 2021! As part of the university’s Alumni Reunion Weekend, we are planning for you, the Class of 2020, a special reunion event on Saturday evening where you can reunite and celebrate with classmates, faculty members and deans. We hope that you will be able to join us and other members of the Marquette community back on campus for a weekend of fun and reminiscing. Formal invitations will be sent as details are finalized; we will also update the Commencement website with that and any other new information.
Please accept our heartfelt congratulations on everything you accomplished at Marquette University. Earning your Marquette degree required hard work and dedication, and we know you and your families made many sacrifices to achieve this goal. Please know how proud the entire Marquette community is as we watch you go forth to Be The Difference.
Respectfully,
Mike Lovell
President
Kimo Ah Yun
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs