In support of its students and with their feedback, Kansas Wesleyan announced Friday that it will move its annual spring commencement ceremony to Saturday, August 15.
The university had previously announced that the May 9 ceremony would not take place as scheduled, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After consulting with several groups, including the 2020 senior class, the decision was made to hold an on-ground ceremony early in the 2020-21 academic year.
“We are pleased to offer an on-ground commencement ceremony for the class of 2020,” said Dr. Matt Thompson, President and CEO of KWU. “We reviewed all options and explored virtual possibilities, but by polling the seniors, we discovered that the vast majority preferred to simply reschedule the ceremony. We’re glad to make it a part of our year-opening events, and we hope many seniors return to celebrate this momentous occasion. This date will also allow classmates of the graduates to also attend the ceremony. In addition, the university is planning some special ways to recognize these graduates during the rest of spring semester to ensure they know how proud we are of them as they achieve this major milestone.”
Mike Gonzales ’84, a member of the KWU Board of Trustees, will remain the scheduled speaker. The event will begin with a class photo at 9 a.m., before the assembly for the processional starts at 9:30 a.m. The ceremony itself is set for a 10 a.m. start. For more information, please visit www.kwu.edu/graduation2020.
