Dear Adelphi Community,
The start of our spring semester also begins the countdown to our annual Commencement celebration of our graduating students. We look forward to honoring the Class of 2021, and though details are not yet finalized, we would like to share an update with you.
While the plans for Commencement and Doctoral Hooding are still in development, Adelphi remains committed to celebrating the Class of 2021—whether in person or virtually—with a University Commencement in May.
Throughout February, the members of the Commencement Committee will meet with various stakeholders, including student leaders, deans, faculty leaders, department chairs and others. We will discuss the options for Commencement based on the evolving health and safety guidance and collect feedback from the various stakeholder groups. Once these conversations are concluded, we will determine and share with you tentative plans for Commencement, which will be developed in accordance with New York state and local health and safety guidance. We encourage you to share your input regarding Commencement by participating in this survey. Please also feel free to email any feedback you might have to commencement@adelphi.edu. We welcome your feedback and look forward to hearing your suggestions.
Though candidates and their families might be eager to make travel plans for Commencement, we recommend that you remain flexible and avoid making firm plans until confirmed arrangements are announced. Please also keep New York state’s travel restrictions and requirements in mind.
As soon as more details for this celebration are available, we will share them on our Commencement website and communicate them to candidates by email. This website also features important dates and deadlines, including when candidates should apply for their degree, order yearbooks and graduation attire, and submit their name pronunciation.
As you might imagine, planning an event like Commencement—which historically involved gathering indoors, in large numbers—is quite different now due to the pandemic. While we are hopeful that the months ahead will bring a return to some degree of normalcy, the timeline for vaccine distribution and prioritization is still unclear, as are the public health protocols that will be in place in May. With less than four months until Commencement, our planning continues to center on prioritizing the health and safety of our graduates and their families, while also commemorating our students’ outstanding academic accomplishments.
We also continue to work on plans for the postponed Commencement for the Class of 2020. Updates for the Class of 2020 will be posted on the dedicated Class of 2020 Commencement website and shared with those alumni when available.
We are excited to celebrate our graduates’ achievements and thank you for your understanding and patience as we work toward making Commencement both memorable and safe for all. If you have any questions or comments related to Commencement, we encourage you to reach out by email at commencement@adelphi.edu.
Sincerely,
Cara Terzulli
Deputy to the Provost
Commencement Committee Co-Chair
Kaitlyn Woods ’12, MBA ’15
Senior Associate Director of Special Events and Engagement
Commencement Committee Co-Chair