PLU Commencement 2020

TO: All students, faculty and staff
FROM: Office of the President

Dear PLU community,

Earlier this week, we made the heart-wrenching announcement to graduating students that we would be unable to host our planned Commencement event at the Tacoma Dome on May 23rd. We invited graduating students to vote for their preferred alternative: an online ceremony on May 23rd, or an in-person, on-campus event in September, during the Labor Day weekend. Our students expressed an overwhelming preference for the in-person option on the PLU campus.

We know relationships matter at PLU, that it’s the people who make our institution special, and that there is a profound desire among our community members to celebrate together. This is especially true for a class that has accomplished, struggled through, learned, and realized so much to get here.

Commencement 2020 will be held on Saturday, September 5th, at 2 p.m. (PDT) at PLU to honor the accomplishments of graduating students that have brought them to this moment, and also to honor their transition into their Lute alumni community. The event will be livestreamed for those unable to attend.

As our graduates were informed when selecting between the two options, please note that space constraints require us to limit the number of guests included in an on-campus commencement ceremony. We’ll soon be asking graduates via their PLU email to let us know whether they’ll be joining us in September; once this headcount is determined, we’ll announce how many guests each participant may invite.

Given the extraordinary events of this Spring, a special celebration for graduates of 2020 will be held on PLU’s campus during Homecoming on October 10, 2020. In addition, our May 2021 Commencement in the Tacoma Dome will be open to this graduating class and all of their guests, if the timing or larger venue is a better fit. Given the uncertainty of the global health pandemic, we note that this option will also serve as a contingency plan for an in-person commencement, should PLU be required to postpone the September 5th event.

Along with commencement, the spring semester brings with it a host of activities and events designed to honor our graduates. Updated details about commencement-related events hosted by various programs and departments on-campus will be posted at dev.plu.edu/commencement as they become available.

We are grieving the loss of the community rituals that these decisions represent, but we are committed to celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2020 fully in the fall. We are so proud of you, Lutes!

In community,

Allan Belton
President

Joanna Gregson
Provost

Dan Lee
Vice President for University Relations

Joanna Royce-Davis
Vice President for Student Life