Traditional Commencement planned for October 2020
From: President <President@manchester.edu>
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2020 4:27 PM
To: FWFaculty <FWFaculty@manchester.edu>; NMFaculty <NMFaculty@manchester.edu>
Cc: NMStaff <NMStaff@manchester.edu>; FWStaff <FWStaff@manchester.edu>
Subject: Traditional Commencement planned for October 2020
Dear Faculty,
Today I will share with the Class of 2020 that we will host Commencement ceremonies for them the weekend of Oct. 17-18 on the North Manchester campus.
We picked this weekend for a variety of reasons. First, we hope it is far enough out that we won’t need to postpone it again. Given the uncertainties ahead, a summer date might have been bumped. In addition, holding it during the academic year means that we can all celebrate with graduates and their families and friends. Finally, it is the weekend prior to fall break, which means there are fewer competing events happening on campus. We understand that some of you may have other commitments, but we hope that announcing this date early will allow the majority of you to participate in the ceremonies marking this significant moment in our students’ lives.
When we surveyed our graduates about their preferences, there was an overwhelming preference for an in-person Commencement ceremony. This was far and away the first choice over a virtual ceremony or simply a celebration. The comments reflected the same: Most of them want this in person. As one student said, “I would prefer any live celebration, on any date, over a virtual one!” As the person who gets to shake their hands, I couldn’t agree more.
There is much to plan for and we will have more details to share in the weeks ahead. Our plan is to host the Pharm.D. hooding ceremony and graduate and professional ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 17, and the undergraduate ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 18. In the meantime, you can send your questions or ideas to graduation@manchester.edu.
The world desperately needs more Manchester graduates, and we all look forward to celebrating this milestone achievement with our 2020 graduates.
Thank you,
Dave
Dave McFadden
President
Manchester University
260-982-5050