Dear Members of the Albertus Magnus College Community,
As our historic 95th Anniversary Year commences, I am writing with an update regarding our planned Class of 2020 Commencement Exercises, currently scheduled for Sunday, September 27. When I wrote regarding my decision to postpone the May 2020 commencement ceremony, I referenced the many communications I had received from our Class of 2020 members, respectfully and compellingly asking that rather than any type of virtual ceremony, they have the opportunity for an in-person ceremony so that they could share their achievements with classmates, family, and friends. My desire to honor their requests led to the selection of this September as a new date.
In postponing our May ceremony to September, our collective hope was that the pandemic conditions would ease to the point where our traditional ceremony would be advisable and feasible. Unfortunately, in looking out a month ahead to September, the evidence just does not suggest we will be able to host anything close to a normal Albertus Magnus College ceremony. With disappointment, I am again postponing the Class of 2020 Commencement Ceremony from the September 27 date, as well as the planned Baccalaureate Mass and Laurel Awards events scheduled the week before.
However, with a spirit of optimism and in honor of our milestone anniversary year, we now will plan to host a “dual” commencement ceremony for the Classes of 2020 and 2021 on our planned 2021 date, Sunday, May 16. There are many logistics that will need to be considered in the weeks and months leading up to that date, but my hopes and prayers will revolve around the members of the two graduating classes and our ability to give them the graduation ceremony they so richly deserve. Many more details regarding May’s commencement-related events will be forthcoming as they are finalized, as will updates regarding other planned fall 2020 semester events.
While the ongoing pandemic has once again negatively affected our plans, I could not be more proud of or grateful for how you have never wavered in adapting and persevering. The new academic year has begun, as has our milestone anniversary year, and as a community we are taking things one day at a time, bringing forth our best effort and thinking, seeking to deliver on our essential Dominican mission. In glancing out to 2021 and beyond, I know this life-elevating college’s future is bright.
In peace and gratitude,
Marc M. Camille, Ed.D.