Commencement
For the Class of 2021, a remote campus means a new kind of Commencement experience. Though the original in-person ceremony must be postponed, faculty and staff have been working tirelessly to create a virtual Commencement experience on Saturday, May 22, at 10 a.m. EST.
This event will be livestreamed and available to anyone, and will be a participatory event that includes many of the traditions that make UArts’ graduation unique: awards, student performances, a valedictory speech and more. Honorary degree recipients, who will be announced at a later date, will also address the Class of 2021.
In-person Commencement celebrations will be held when it’s safe and feasible to do so. We know that celebrating remotely is not a substitute for in-person celebrations. With this in mind, plans are already underway to host in-person celebrations by individual schools at a later date for the classes of 2020 and 2021. We promise to celebrate again and in full force the accomplishments of our graduating students. Dates will be shared once we know when we can safely gather again.
Watch last year’s Commencement recap video and visit commencement.uarts.edu to understand some of the ways in which our remote celebration will be uniquely special.
In an announcement to the UArts community, President David Yager said, “I believe that in a post-pandemic world, creatives will lead critical work for the world. You will challenge entrenched societal assumptions and conventions; you will celebrate risk and exploration; you will establish meaning and understanding of chaos, loss and tragedy; and you—especially our graduating students—will demonstrate the resiliency of human creativity.”
For updates about Commencement, graduating students should check their UArts email accounts.