University of Missouri

October 9, 2020
Contact: Christian Basi, 573-882-4430, BasiC@missouri.edu

University of Missouri officials announced today that, due to precautions needed to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, an in-person commencement ceremony in December 2020 will not be held this fall. Instead, MU will host a virtual celebration for fall graduates.

“For months, we held on to the hope that we could honor graduates’ achievements with an in-person commencement ceremony this semester,” said Latha Ramchand, provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “As the last several months have shown us though, we must continue to make difficult decisions and take necessary actions to protect the safety and well-being of our entire community.”

Although the university will not hold an in-person commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020, Ramchand said that details of an in-person ceremony for this class would be announced at a later date. The ceremonies will include all graduates of the entire class, from May, August and December.

“At this time, we cannot set dates for an in-person ceremony, but we will do so as soon as it is logistically feasible and safe from a public health perspective,” Ramchand said. “This is a difficult message for our students and families to receive. They deserve to be celebrated and have earned their status as a successful graduate, completing their studies under extraordinarily challenging circumstances. We’ll look forward to the moment when we can finally gather in person to honor their achievements.”