Commencement and Class of 2020 Celebration Weekend
March 26, 2021
Dear Members of the SLU class of 2020, families, faculty and staff,
One year ago this week, we abruptly evacuated our campuses. Although we didn’t know it then, it would be our final time physically together during your senior year.
We pivoted to online teaching and learning and were soon forced to postpone your commencement ceremony. In the months that followed, we remained optimistic that we would be able to hold a delayed commencement celebration. We even went as far as surveying you and your classmates to identify a date to have an in-person celebration in the summer or fall. The virus, however, remained relentless, and we were again forced to postpone.
It has certainly been a long road, but we are now emerging from the darkness into the dawn.
I want to speak to the frustration that you may be feeling for the delay in additional communication about commencement. Last year, we promised to do everything that we could to celebrate your achievements in person. I am pleased to announce that we are finally in a position to do just that in the coming months.
We know that having been away for a year presents its own challenges for you and your loved ones to return to campus. With that in mind, we want to be sensitive to your availability. Please fill out the brief survey, by clicking the button below, to indicate your availability for events in either August, September or October of 2021.
Our vision is to host commencement ceremonies for you, as well as other celebratory events to honor your achievements. We look forward to seeing your responses in the survey about what types of events you think most fit the occasion. COVID-19 precautions will likely still be in play, but we are committed to making this a celebration worthy of your incredible achievement.
No matter what we do, we know we will not make up for the loss of your senior year.
Until we can be together again, know that I miss you, faculty and staff miss you, and we look forward to celebrating with you at the time that works best for most of you.
Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D.
President