May 6: Update on Fall Commencement

TO: Graduates
FROM: Mark C. Reed, Ed.D., President
RE: Update on Fall Commencement
Date: May 6, 2020, at 3:04 PM

Dear Class of 2020,

As you know, the University will confer your degrees virtually on Saturday, May 16, and I know that some of you have mixed feelings surrounding this – understanding, of course, that the pandemic situation prevents the normal ceremonies on this date, but disappointment nonetheless. We, the faculty and staff of Saint Joseph’s, share these same feelings.

As our planning for the fall semester is underway, I am pleased to share our intention to conduct Commencement ceremonies and events for the Class of 2020 on the weekend of October 2-4, 2020, absent any restrictions which prevent us from doing so. We recognize that some of you will not be able to attend as you will have moved away, started new jobs, be in graduate school, or otherwise unable to travel – but our sincere hope and desire is that most of you will be able to participate. We look forward to honoring and celebrating with you. We will share more information over the summer as it is available.

During this challenging and uncertain time – when not only our campus but our nation and world have been forced apart – I am reminded of a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who said, “There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love.” Your love for SJU, your classmates, friends, professors, staff, mentors, advisors, and experiences is both deep and evident. So, while we gather virtually on May 16, however imperfectly, we do so as an expression of our love for you. It is not a replacement graduation but a key touch point that honors what you have accomplished and provides a connection until we can be together again in the fall.

There are no easy or perfect solutions to the dilemma of conducting Commencement Exercises during a pandemic. We take some comfort that our solutions – combining a virtual event now with on-ground events when it is safe to do so – are consistent with many institutions, with examples including Penn, Temple, Fordham, Penn State, Villanova, and many more. I want to thank and recognize all of the individuals who work tirelessly to support and produce these events. In the true spirit of service, much of their work is invisible or goes unnoticed, and I ask that we all share our appreciation for their efforts. They are doing way more this year than in a normal year, all while balancing the same personal and professional challenges facing us all.

So, until we can fly together again, congratulations and … The Hawk Will Never Die!

Mark C. Reed, Ed.D.
President