Join Us For Virtual Commencement on Friday, May 15
Dear Graduating Students,
As President McBride shared in his message to you yesterday, all of us at The New School are deeply saddened by the significant loss that you are facing, as you finish your degrees with very different versions of the milestones that you had expected and looked forward to throughout your New School career. A traditional Commencement ceremony, in which you stand alongside your classmates in cap and gown, your family and friends cheering as you receive the degree you’ve worked so hard to achieve, is an event with no equivalent, and I am heartbroken that you won’t have your hard work and accomplishments applauded in person in May 2020 as we all had hoped. You deserve to have a special moment to be honored for your achievements, and we plan to offer you that distinct experience when it is safe to meet again. Until we can reunite in person, the Commencement team is working hard to create a truly special virtual ceremony that makes you feel recognized, inspired, and proud to be a member of our community. Drawing on the unique talents of the New School community, this event will be one you won’t forget. Here are some early details of our plans:
Virtual Commencement
The 2020 University Commencement Ceremony will take place on Friday, May 15, at 11:30 a.m. EDT, and will include:
- Pre-ceremony activities starting at 11:00 a.m.
- Interactive digital photo gallery of graduates
- Remarks from University President Dr. Dwight A. McBride
- Student performance
- Student speakers and emcees
- Special guests
- Recognition of our newly minted graduates
- Conferral of degrees
- Post-ceremony virtual celebration
All members of our university community, as well as our graduates’ families and friends, are warmly invited to attend. We will share the link to the Virtual Ceremony website later this week.
Cap and Gown Orders
Caps and gowns are an important signifier of your transition from students to alumni, and we know that many of you would like your cap and gown to keep as a memento, pose in for photos, or wear when we come together to honor you in person. To help you make memories, and in recognition of the great flexibility this time has required of you, The New School would like to purchase your cap and gown.
We will begin accepting cap and gown orders during the week of April 27. At that time, please order yours free of charge via the Commencement portlet in MyNewSchool. We will make every effort to get students their caps and gowns as soon as possible.
Digital Photo Gallery Submissions
We’d like the faces of each and every one of our graduating students to be part of our virtual ceremony. Later this week, all students who have applied to graduate will receive a link to our submission portal, where you can share a photo of yourself to be included in the graduate gallery. We invite you to start preparing your photo now using the following photo submission guidelines.
School Recognition Ceremonies
In addition to the University Commencement ceremony, each college is currently working on unique ways to recognize and honor its graduating students. Please watch for emails from your college sharing more information as it becomes available.
Grad Week Events
Staff across The New School are working on a variety of special events to honor graduating students and prepare them for their next steps. Visit the Grad Week website to learn more about affinity ceremonies, career events, alumni panels, and more.Â
We’d Like to Hear From You
During the day’s events, we would like to share some special facts about you and your New School experience. In this form, please tell us what you’d like to know about your classmates and share with your fellow grads! We will use your feedback to help craft the virtual experience. Please stay tuned for other potential opportunities to contribute to the ceremony.
I’m sure that you have more questions about virtual Commencement, and our team will share more details as they are finalized. Please direct further inquiries to commencement@newschool.edu. We can’t wait to celebrate you, as well as the families and friends who have supported you throughout your academic journey at The New School.