Auburn to Combine Spring and Summer Commencement Ceremonies
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Following the postponement of Auburn’s spring commencement ceremonies due to the COVID-19 outbreak, spring graduates will have the opportunity to participate in summer commencement when the university combines its spring and summer ceremonies on August 8-9, 2020. While the university plans to host summer commencement, final event decisions are contingent on public health circumstances surrounding the global pandemic.
The announcement follows the university’s recent decision to transition all spring on-campus instruction to remote delivery and cancel campus events through the end of the semester. In a letter to campus last week, President Jay Gogue indicated the university would assess alternate commencement plans while still conferring degrees to those students who meet graduation eligibility.
“Although our spring graduates will already have their degrees conferred, we know how important this Auburn tradition is to our students,” said President Jay Gogue. “There is no academic ceremony more symbolic than commencement, and we understand what walking across the stage means to our students and their families.”
Traditionally, Auburn’s summer commencement program recognizes 1,500 graduates across two ceremonies. By combining spring and summer exercises, the university will extend the event to multiple ceremonies across two days, provided the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided.
In preparation for the combined spring and summer ceremonies, all spring graduates will receive an email next week requesting their intention to participate in the ceremony. Those students who ordered regalia for the spring commencement and plan to attend the combined ceremony will not need to contact the Auburn University Bookstore. Any student who ordered regalia for the spring commencement and does not plan to attend the combined ceremony may request a refund.
Students, families, and friends unable to attend the combined commencement will be able to view the ceremonies via live stream. For information on specific ceremony dates and times, please visit Auburn University’s Commencement Website.
Media interested in this story can contact Communications Director Preston Sparks at (334) 844-9999 or preston.sparks@auburn.edu.
Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.
