Stevenson President Elliot Hirshman sent the following email to students, staff, and faculty members on March 26, 2020:

To Our Class of 2020 Graduates and Families,

We are writing to follow up on our previous message regarding planning for Commencement this year. Given the continuing increase in the number of Coronavirus cases in Maryland and public health guidance for limiting the spread of new infections, we regret to tell you that we have to postpone our May Commencement ceremonies.

We understand the disruption that the COVID-19 outbreak has caused, especially for our Class of 2020 graduates and their families, and we are truly sorry for this.

We will celebrate your Commencement this year and are currently considering dates later in the year when we hope to gather as a campus community in order to recognize our graduates’ achievements. We appreciate your patience and will be in touch when we finalize the Class of 2020 Commencement plans.

We wish to clarify that the postponement of the Commencement ceremony does not, in any way, delay your formal graduation from Stevenson. Upon completion of your degree requirements this spring, your degree will be officially conferred in May. Your Stevenson transcript will reflect this, as well as any special awards and academic distinctions you have achieved. Diplomas will be mailed to you in the usual manner in mid-June.

Many students and parents have questions about the availability of caps and gowns. Herff Jones has notified us that its facility in Illinois is shut down until at least April 12 in response to public health measures. This means that deliveries will be delayed for students who have already ordered, as well as for those who intend to place their orders during the next several weeks. The Stevenson Campus Store has posted a link on its web page (http://store.stevenson.edu/suom/Home) for students who prefer to place orders with Herff Jones. As a backup, our Campus Store has also ordered a large supply of caps and gowns from Herff Jones, but these are also subject to the same delays. The Campus Store will notify students when caps and gowns have been received for in-store purchases.  

We deeply regret these present uncertainties and challenges, but we do look forward to joining together as one community to celebrate the achievements of our graduates and their families. As always, if you have any further questions please relay them to us at [email protected].

Sincerely,
Elliot Hirshman
President 

Susan Gorman
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost