A Message to Stanford 2020 Graduates - July 12, 2021
Dear 2020 graduates,
We’re writing to catch you up on some unfinished business at Stanford.
The final steps of your Stanford journey were among the most unusual in university history. You endured disruptions and dislocations as you completed your studies. Then, as you began making your paths in a world facing profound crises, you received your degrees from a distance.
Now, with conditions improving and restrictions loosening, we are excited to begin planning in earnest for your virtual celebration to become an in-person reality.
Many of our 2021 graduates were able to gather for Commencement in Stanford Stadium last month. Still, health and safety requirements associated with the pandemic placed a number of constraints on the weekend. These included a limit of two guest tickets per graduate and virtual, rather than in-person, school and departmental events.
We want this celebration for you, your classmates, your families and your friends to take place at a time of minimal or no restrictions.
As we finalize a date and create an exciting and meaningful Commencement experience, we need to consider a number of public health factors and campus logistics regarding large-scale events. These include:
- Frosh and sophomores in residence on campus this summer.
- Expectations for returning to an in-person academic experience this fall.
- Ongoing safety precautions as employees transition back to onsite work.
- Continued vigilance required by increases in campus density.
- Weather conditions that, after early autumn, can vary greatly until the spring.
With those and related factors in mind, we have determined that spring or early summer 2022 is the earliest realistic opportunity for such a large undertaking. So that you will have time for planning, we will announce a firm date by Aug. 16.
As we continue moving ahead, your ideas and preferences are critical.
- Many of you and your families have emphasized the importance of being able to invite family members and friends without restrictions. We intend to make that happen.
- Students and graduates have made clear that social experiences leading up to Commencement are as important as the ceremony itself. We’re scheduling celebrations and traditional events, among them the Time Capsule and Senior Dinner on the Quad for undergraduate degree holders hosted by the Stanford Alumni Association.
- And others may have additional feedback or suggestions. So we encourage you to use this link to tell us more about what would make this gathering meaningful.
Please stay tuned for more information about celebrating your achievements as fully as we had all hoped for in June of 2020. After more than a year of detours and unexpected opportunities, we’ll be excited to have you back – once again – at your starting point.
Your Stanford family is looking forward to seeing you.