Le Moyne selects commencement-ceremony dates for the Classes of 2021, 2020

SYRACUSE, N.Y. —Le Moyne College on Friday announced the dates for the commencement ceremonies for both the Classes of 2021 and 2020.

The school postponed the ceremony for the Class of 2020 because of the pandemic.

Le Moyne says it will hold the 2020 undergraduate ceremony on Saturday, May 22, the 2020 and 2021 graduate ceremony on Thursday, May 27, and the 2021 undergraduate ceremony the following day on Friday, May 28.

Le Moyne also noted that the dates “could be altered” subject to COVID-19 health and safety protocols in effect during that week in May. If the college needs to change any of the dates involved due to new restrictions, it will do so “with as much advance notice as possible,” per its online news release.

“One of the most difficult decisions over the past 10 months was the postponement of the 2020 commencement ceremonies,” Le Moyne President Linda LeMura said. “With that in mind, we are hopeful that we will be able hold ceremonies in May on the dates that were selected. While that is fully our intent at this time we know that, like so many other things, factors outside the College’s control, such as county or state restrictions on the size of gatherings, could impact this decision.”

Even though it has chosen the dates, Le Moyne says it still has plenty to decide about the commencement events.

The school has yet to decide where it will hold the ceremonies and is reviewing “several options,” both on and off campus.

Le Moyne is also determining the number of ceremonies it will hold each day for each group of graduates, along with audience size. The college says the maximum number of people who are allowed in venues under state regulations will impact the audience size. For example, if the size of the ceremony is capped at 150 people as it currently stands, Le Moyne would have to hold several ceremonies to allow all students to participate.

The school is also working on the ceremony format but anticipates that the festivities will be a combination of in-person with an available livestream of the event.

Le Moyne is “hopeful at this time” for an in-person ceremony, but other options “may be necessary,” depending on regulations at that time. These could include having degree recipients in-person and family viewing virtually, and if regulations become stricter, a virtual-only ceremony.

The college will make a final decision on these and other details about commencement around April 1.