2021 Commencement

 Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff, 

From the day a student steps foot on this campus, it is our goal to support them on the journey to complete their college degree. Graduating from college is a momentous accomplishment that takes a lot of dedication, hard work, and perseverance. The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges and changes to the way students learn, making our 2021 graduating class one to remember and more importantly, one to celebrate. To our graduating students, congratulations! You are almost at the finish line. We are committed to recognizing your success and are very proud of you. 

There are many factors to consider when planning commencement this year. Throughout the pandemic, we have worked hard to ensure the health and safety of our campus community, which involves adhering to public health guidelines. While still in development, we have reviewed the draft guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health for higher education commencement celebrations. We have considered how our commencement activities fit within this guidance. We continue to see encouraging trends in the pandemic, including advancement through phases of the vaccine rollout. However, we also have to be mindful of the unpredictability of the virus variants and uncertainty around the vaccine distribution timeline.

With all of this under consideration, we have decided that the UMD commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 8, will be held virtually. 

I recognize that holding our commencement ceremony in a virtual space does not replace all of the qualities of a traditional commencement. My preference would certainly be for us all to gather at Amsoil Arena in-person. Unfortunately, that is just not feasible this year. We made this decision based on several important factors including:

• The size of our graduating class (which is estimated to be over 2,000).
• The fact that holding multiple smaller ceremonies still results in capacity concerns and is not feasible given limited staffing resources.
• Our desire to minimize stress created by last minute changes.
• Most importantly, it is the best option to ensure the safety and health of our school community, families, and guests.

I am committed to enhancing our virtual ceremony to optimize the experience for our graduates and guests. As well, colleges and departments across campus continue to explore avenues for hosting supplemental smaller in-person graduation celebrations. More information about this will come as those plans solidify. The UMD commencement website will be updated with more information in the coming weeks. 

Once again, congratulations to our graduating students. I wish you the very best as you wrap up this semester and move on to your next adventure. 

Sincerely, 

Lendley C. Black
Chancellor