Commencement 2020 Announcement
Click here to see the latest news about in-person commencement. Dear Converse Community, This week, Converse started classes 100% online – a first for Converse in our 130-year history. I am very grateful to our faculty and staff who worked diligently to ensure the successful launch of these classes today. We hope that our students are adapting to their new remote class environment; if any challenges or issues occur, please work with your professors and staff who are here to help deliver the best experience possible as you continue your spring semester with Converse.
We know many of you have inquired about Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies in May. We have been watching closely the decisions of agencies and guidance by the CDC as well as the numbers of individuals affected by this pandemic. We hoped that the tide of this would turn and we would be able to hold our celebration on campus. However, with the progression of COVID-19 community spread and the extension of social-isolation orders, it is with heavy hearts that we have made the following decisions regarding 2020 graduation events:
- We will be holding a virtual Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 16. More information about the May 16 ceremony will be posted on www.converse.edu on or before May 1.
- The Baccalaureate service will be posted on www.converse.edu on May 15.
- Those graduating students who complete your required coursework on time will have the option to have your diploma picked up or mailed to you. Contact the Office of the Registrar if you need to make any changes to your mailing address. If you need to order a transcript, please do so here.
Seniors, we realize that your final year here at Converse has changed drastically. The graduation celebration that you have worked so hard to earn is no longer happening as planned. We won’t gloss over any of this. It’s hard, it’s disappointing, and it isn’t fair. You are probably feeling a sense of grief, and we are too.
After all, you are the Class of 2020 – my class. We arrived at Converse together and this was to be your special day. And, it still will be. It won’t be the same, but we will celebrate you and all of your accomplishments – albeit virtually – in May. I realize that some of you will not be able to attend the alternate events in August, but we want you to return to Converse whenever you can and we will celebrate you then – even if it is a quick drop-in or at your one-year reunion.
You are part of the Converse family and you are always welcome here. While our world around us is changing, know that the values for which Converse stands and the reason why we exist remain unchanged. Our mission to educate our students to see clearly, decide wisely, and act justly is needed now more than ever. Let’s be that clarity for our world, and let’s lead with honor and courage. Our resilience, our strength, our perseverance during these unprecedented times, and our compassion for others will show the world the Converse way. Until the day when we are back together, we will be unified in spirit. Converse remains “standing with open arms” ready to welcome you back home. We are all in this together,
Krista Newkirk