To the Clark Community,
I write to share the good news that Clark University will hold 2021 in-person Commencement ceremonies on June 12 for students receiving graduate degrees and June 13 for students receiving undergraduate degrees.
The ceremonies will be held, rain or shine, on one of Clark’s athletic fields, at a time yet to be determined. So we may accommodate the maximum number of safely distanced people on the field, students and their guests will not be under tents. The ceremonies will be livestreamed and recorded for later viewing on demand.
We had initially scheduled Commencement on June 20, but decided on the earlier dates when our seniors expressed a clear desire to begin working and pursuing other opportunities sooner.
Several key details remain unresolved, most prominently the number of guests who will be allowed to attend the ceremony. Because COVID-19 severely limits our ability to stage an event with the appropriate physical distancing required by the state, we need to know the final number of students participating in Commencement before determining how many guests we can allow. We will soon begin surveying our students to gauge participation numbers, but at this time we do not anticipate permitting any more than 1-2 guests per student.
More information will be forthcoming about ceremony time and location, attendance allowances, tickets and guest registration requirements, the ordering of regalia, honorary degree recipients, and the health protocols that will be in place prior to and on the day of each Commencement ceremony. Please visit our special Commencement website, which will be updated regularly as we finalize more details.
Commencement is a milestone occasion for our students and families, and I want to thank you for your patience and understanding about the gradual release of news concerning our preparations. Our foremost priority, always, is the health and well-being of our campus community, including visitors to Clark, so we are being intentionally deliberate and prudent with our planning to ensure a memorable, meaningful, and safe event for all.
I look forward to sharing more information with you in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
David Fithian ’87
President