Apr 20, 2020
Dear University of Mississippi community,
The university remains committed to doing all it can to honor our graduates in person when it is safe for us to come together as a university community. And while we aren’t able to gather in the Grove and at other beautiful venues on our campus right now for traditional pomp and circumstance, we could not let our originally scheduled Commencement Day pass without recognizing the incredible achievements, character and spirit of this class of graduates.
We consider it a great privilege to celebrate our graduates — no matter the circumstances — so we invite the Ole Miss family to celebrate with us as we honor our graduates in a live, virtual event on Saturday, May 9 at 12 noon CDT. We continue to finalize details of this celebration, and we will share additional information as May 9 draws closer.
As part of the virtual celebration, all graduates will receive an official cap and tassel from the university to be mailed in a “grad pack” along with a few other celebratory items. Communication with graduates and their families is ongoing to verify current mailing addresses.
Additionally, the university is creating a collection of virtual mementos to recognize the entire class. In the coming weeks, you will see stories, photos, personalized online announcements and a digital commencement program that will demonstrate to the world the resilience and remarkable accomplishments of this class of Ole Miss graduates.
It is important to note that the May 9 event is not intended to replace an in-person ceremony and, in spite of the ongoing uncertainties facing us with the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to explore possible dates for an in-person Commencement ceremony. We commit to sharing more with you as soon as we can identify a date that allows us to move forward while keeping the safety and health of our graduates and their guests as our top priority.
We are a community that enjoys celebrating with each other on our beautiful campus and in our wonderful city of Oxford. And, while we are unable to do that at this time, it does not diminish how meaningful this moment is in the lives of our graduates and how hard they worked to get here.
To our graduates: We’re so proud of all you’ve accomplished during your years here, and we can’t wait to see how you’ll continue to build your legacy and move the world forward!
Sincerely,
Glenn F. Boyce
Chancellor