The University of Nevada, Reno, in consultation with student leadership, is postponing its May commencement and has determined that Spring 2020 graduates will have the choice to celebrate their achievements coinciding with, but be separate from, either the December 2020 graduation ceremonies or Spring 2021 ceremonies. The level of interest by graduates in which ceremony they choose will help the University determine the details of planning a memorable in-person experience for graduates and their families. There will be no virtual commencement in May as was previously announced.

“Our students deserve to have a unique time to share the joy of their achievement,” University President Marc Johnson said. “We will continue to work with our student leaders as we begin to plan something special. The University’s graduation department will be sending our graduates more information about these choices and will be requesting a preliminary show of interest to assist us in our planning.”

“Our student leadership, speaking on behalf of our undergraduate and graduate students, made it abundantly clear how extremely disappointed they were with our earlier decision,” Johnson said. “We want the members of the Class of 2020 to know that we’ve heard them.”

Johnson praised the University’s student leadership, including ASUN President Anthony Martinez and Graduate Student Association President Tamara Guinn, for expressing many of the concerns students had shared about the University’s original plan to share May’s Commencement virtually.

“I’m so pleased, not only personally, but for all our entire student body, that President Johnson and the University’s administration had a willingness to listen to the stories we’ve heard over the past few days, from students who truly felt heart-broken,” Martinez said. “Not gathering to celebrate their graduation runs contrary to what this institution is all about. It’s not just the opportunity that conferral of a degree represents. It is celebrating and acknowledging, the many personal journeys our students have traveled in reaching their graduation. Reaching out to our students to find out their wishes is a great first step in ensuring the University isn’t forgetting this spring’s graduates.”

Guinn said her constituency of graduate students had expressed similar sentiments.

“For many students, and particularly graduate students, there are family considerations that one must navigate throughout their pursuit of a degree,” she said. “People make major sacrifices along the way. The attainment of a degree becomes a very personal thing. I’ve always felt that our commencement ceremonies have a very inspiring, communal and familial feel to them, because a person’s degree belongs to more than just them. Graduate students face unique challenges as they achieve their degrees.”

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ORIGINAL STORY: 

Officials with the University of Nevada, Reno say an in-person graduation for spring commencement is "still on the table."

After a petition was signed by thousands of students earlier this week to postpone the ceremony instead of having a virtual one, officials released this statement on Thursday:

University leadership has been meeting with our student leaders (grad and undergrad) to further determine what else we can do. We hear our students loud and clear on how disappointed, sad and mad they are. We hear and acknowledge their feelings – they are valid. We are happy to provide an in-person opportunity for commencement, but are still trying to determine when and how that can happen. Everything is still on the table.

 

On Tuesday, University officials said the ceremony would be moved online due to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

We will continue to update this story as we hear more.