Commencement

June 18, 2021:

The University will retain its plans for Commencement on Sunday, August 1, with two guests allowed, with the health safety measures previously announced.  

Dear Members of the Class of 2020,

We write now with news about the Class of 2020 Commencement weekend scheduled for August 1, 2021. We have agonized for the last year that your final months as a student were so difficult and disappointing. The unthinkable occurred in unimaginable ways. Your resilience and class solidarity are remarkable and lasting. We are relieved and pleased to share more details about the weekend activities contemplated and planned.

Owing to New York State guidance for commencement, along with the local public health conditions and protocols, we need to adjust the weekend logistics, of course, to keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible while celebrating your achievements.

We invite you to return to Canton on Friday, July 30, 2021. We plan to have senior events on Friday evening, followed by day and evening activities on Saturday, July 31, 2021, and then culminating with the graduation ceremony on August 1, 2021.

The ceremony will take place in Newell Field House and allow each graduate to attend in person, walk across the stage, and receive my personal greeting. Some of the details for the day are outlined below, and some others will follow as we go.

• Members of the Class of 2020 were required to register by Wednesday, June 23, 2021.
• The University will house graduates on campus at no cost.
• The University will provide regalia to graduates at no charge, with requests noted in the Registration form.
• Due to recently changed New York State gathering requirements and available University spaces, attendance at the ceremony will be limited to the graduates and two registered guests. The ceremony will be livestreamed so that other family members and friends can enjoy the event. 
• Saturday, July 31, will be Class Day, an old American college tradition for seniors to mark and celebrate their time together. It will include activities and programming arranged in a collaboration between the Class of 2020 and Student Life professionals; this day must also adhere to all COVID-19 safety and gathering restrictions.

We anticipate that you may have more questions, though some of the finer points require a little more time to sort out. Meanwhile, we have prepared FAQs that ought to provide additional details for you and your families.

St. Lawrence appreciates your patience throughout the last 14 months as we poured everything we had into providing an in-person campus experience for the classes behind you. You represent in Laurentian history a class marked by an unforgettable global event, which is why we are firmly committed to your commencement time together. We look forward to seeing you back on campus this summer.