Dear graduates and families of the Class of 2020,

I am writing you today with great news. The date for your on-campus Commencement and graduation festivities has been set for the weekend of May 1–2, 2021. Please mark your calendars!

These dates were selected based on the careful evaluation and recommendations of the Commencement 2020 Graduating Student Committee—as well as the input of several campus partners—with the goal of providing special festivities that are wholly unique to your class and separate from the programming for the Class of 2021. We also considered factors such as hotel room and restaurant availability, as well as event timing for our peer institutions in Nashville. I know that Incoming Chancellor Diermeier shares my excitement about these celebrations, and I’m sure you all are eager to reunite with your classmates, families, mentors and professors on campus.

I encourage you all to visit the Commencement website for updates and information as our planning continues to progress. You can also reach out to your fellow graduates on the committee with additional thoughts, or fill out the online feedback form.

Over the next few weeks, each of our graduates will receive a special package from Vanderbilt containing commemorative items, such as a champagne flute. In June, we will hold a virtual toast for the Class of 2020, which will include some other familiar faces from our campus who share the desire to celebrate your achievements. We will provide more details about this event soon.

A hard copy of your diploma is also on its way to you. I hope you have had a chance to view the certified electronic version of your diploma, which was sent out via email from the Office of the University Registrar earlier this week. You can reach out to the registrar’s office with any questions about accessing your electronic diploma.

I look forward to celebrating with you next spring. In the meantime, I hope to hear how all of you are doing in your endeavors over the coming months. As you have heard me say before, this is just the beginning of your time as Commodores and as members for life of the Vanderbilt community. I hope you are excited for all that is to come.

Sincerely,

Susan R. Wente
Interim Chancellor and Provost
Vanderbilt University