News Release
Celebration Update for the Class of 2020
Today the Office of the President issued the following letter:
Dear Class of 2020,
It has now been just over a year since we had to break from in-person classes due to the onset of the global pandemic. And what a year it has been! We still think about what we went through together during your senior year at Southern Virginia University. We still want and plan to celebrate you, your accomplishments, and your unique contribution to University. You are a historic class that deserves to be celebrated.
Ever since we knew that we would not be able to hold a regular commencement ceremony for all of you in May 2020, we have been looking at alternative celebrations. We had hoped to include you in this spring’s commencement exercises, but there are still major restrictions and limitations on our ability to gather this year’s graduating class before considering additional guests. The result will be a very non-traditional ceremony.
Though we have not yet been authorized to hold large, in-person gatherings, we feel hopeful about the potential to do so within the next calendar year. With that in mind, we would like to celebrate all of you by holding a special Class of 2020 graduation event as part of next year’s homecoming celebrations—which could be in either the fall or spring semesters depending on government guidelines and the state of the pandemic.
Next year will hold a special place in University history as we celebrate our 25th anniversary. As part of this Jubilee Year, we hope to hold an in-person event during homecoming to help recreate some of the ceremonies and traditions on which you missed out due to the unexpected turn of events last spring. We will also live-stream any such activities for those of you who are unable to attend in person but would still like to participate virtually.
We will send you additional updates as we plan this event and as the surrounding pandemic circumstances come into greater focus. Until then, please remember that you are not forgotten! We care about you and are proud of everything you have accomplished in the face of so many obstacles and so much adversity.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this worldwide pandemic together. And as always, Go Knights!
Sincerely,
Office of the President
Southern Virginia University