COLUMBIA, Mo. — The University of Missouri announced an in-person commencement ceremony will not be held this fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In place of the in-person ceremony, the university 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.”
Ramchand said details of an in-person ceremony for the class will be announced at a later date. The ceremonies will include all graduates of the entire class from May, August and December, according to a press release.
“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.”
