Minot State pushes plans for in-person ceremony to coincide with May 2021 Commencement
MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University announced today there will not be a Commencement ceremony held this fall celebrating either the December 2020 graduates or those who graduated with the 2019-20 class.
Minot State canceled the 2020 Commencement Exercise in May due to the completion of the Spring 2020 semester online. MSU held a virtual GRADical Week celebrating the 2019-2020 class with online acknowledgements, contests, prizes, and multiple speakers. The expectation, at the time, was to hold a ceremony for those graduates sometime in this fall.
That idea will be pushed to Spring 2021 as MSU plans to celebrate both 2019-20 and 2020-21 classes at its May 2021 Commencement Exercise.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and the North Dakota Department of Health moved Ward County to “Risk Level High” on Friday, Oct. 30, greatly limiting large gatherings.
“Last week, Ward County was moved into the high-risk category as one of the counties with the highest number of active COVID cases in North Dakota,” said Minot State President Steven Shirley. “One of the important guidelines with that classification is a major restriction on mass gatherings. It is certainly a difficult decision to make, but keeping the safety of graduates, families, faculty, and staff in mind, it is simply no longer practical or realistic to plan for an in-person Commencement ceremony this fall at Minot State.”
Minot State has also received multiple inquiries regarding graduation regalia. For those interested, the MSU Bookstore has 2020 tassels, honor stoles, and single mortarboards for sale. For more information, contact Tiffany Heth, MSU Bookstore manager, by EMAIL or at 701-858-3390.
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
Published: 11/02/20
