A note about in-person Commencement plans for Class of 2020 graduates

Dear UMM community,

When the University of Maine at Machias class of 2020 was surveyed on how best to celebrate Commencement during a pandemic, the graduates voted overwhelmingly in favor of holding a virtual event in May 2020, followed by an in-person ceremony in the fall.

Many of you celebrated with us at the virtual recognition ceremony this spring, and we were hopeful that we would have an opportunity to continue that celebration — in person — during Homecoming Weekend. It has since become clear that holding the event in September will not be possible, given current university policy on large face-to-face gatherings.

We will continue to monitor state and federal health and safety guidance in the hopes of hosting this ceremony as soon as it is safe to do so. As that time approaches, the class of 2020 may expect to hear from us with a new survey, so that we can decide on a date that works for as many of the graduates as possible.

We remain enormously grateful for your patience and understanding. The class of 2020 showed incredible grit and determination in reaching an academic milestone during a historic global event, and we look forward to coming together as a community to honor that achievement.

Sincerely,

UMM Commencement Committee

UMM’s 109th Commencement Virtual Recognition Ceremony will air Saturday, May 30 at 1 p.m. EST.

Watch the embedded video here, or visit the Youtube livestream to participate in a live chat during the ceremony.

Congratulations, Class of 2020. We look forward to celebrating with you at a traditional, in-person ceremony as soon as it’s safe to do so. We have tentatively scheduled that ceremony for September; please check back here for updates.