Dear B´ÎÔª Community,
Over the past few weeks, the College has been diligently monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, providing for the safety of our community and ensuring our students have all the academic and personal resources needed to finish their semester. We have cancelled all events and activities to date to adhere to the social distancing guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and we are abiding by the restrictions put in place by New York State Governor Cuomo.
Today I write to let you know that we plan to celebrate and recognize the hard-work and achievements of the class of 2020 at a virtual commencement ceremony on Wednesday, May 20. In light of the uncertainty about how long the social gathering restrictions will last, we have regretfully decided to cancel Mercy’s annual in-person commencement exercises.
While this may feel like a loss for our graduates and their families, we fully intend to mark this momentous occasion. Many across the College are working on the details to make the virtual ceremony a memorable event for everyone. Understandably you will have a lot of questions and we will be sharing details on how this will work in the coming weeks.
Personally, one of my favorite moments of the academic year is when I stand on the stage and shake the hands of those who have earned their degrees, so this was one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make. However, the health and well-being of our community must remain the highest priority.
to watch a special message to graduates from President Hall.
We hope you and your families are doing well. We will be in touch with additional details soon. In the meantime, if you have specific questions about commencement, please email commencement@mercy.edu.
Sincerely,
Tim Hall
President