Texas A&M announces the return on in-person commencement ceremonies.
A news release from provost Carol Fierke also emphasizes plans could change depending on the pandemic.
With that in mind, there will be 15 ceremonies in December over a five day period at Reed Arena.
A&M will also host graduation ceremonies for Aggies who graduated last May and last August at Kyle Field next February and March.
Letter e-mailed by Texas A&M provost Carol Fierke:
Dear Texas A&M Community,
I am excited to announce our plans for December 2020 graduation, as well as scheduled dates in February and March 2021 for rescheduled May and August 2020 ceremonies postponed due to COVID-19. I wish to thank our faculty and staff and especially our graduating students and their families for their sacrifices in this extraordinary year. Every graduate deserves an in-person opportunity to celebrate their achievement. While we will continue to monitor the status of COVID-19 locally, we remain hopeful in the dates to follow and are excited to provide this information.
In December, Texas A&M University is planning in-person commencement ceremonies for more than 4,200 students who will graduate at the end of the Fall 2020 semester at the College Station campus. In order to maximize the safety of our graduates and their families, we will hold 15 ceremonies over five days in Reed Arena: December 10, 11, 17, 18, and 19. Ceremonies will be held at 9 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m. each day.
To allow for safe physical distancing, no more than 324 graduates will participate in each ceremony. The event will be ticketed, with each graduate receiving up to six tickets for family and friends. Face coverings must be worn by all graduates and their guests while inside Reed Arena, and the facility will be cleaned between ceremonies. While diplomas will be mailed, each graduate will have their name called and will walk across the stage with a diploma tube for a picture to commemorate this very special event.
We have posted the schedule of ceremonies on graduation.tamu.edu. Details will be emailed to each graduate through their university e-mail account in the coming week.
Additionally, the May 2020 and August 2020 graduation ceremonies are now scheduled for February 11-13, February 17-19, and March 11-13, 2021, and will take place at Kyle Field. Each ceremony will allow just over 950 students to participate. The rescheduled 2020 ceremonies in February and March 2021 will be organized by colleges and departments, as is the norm. The Office of the Registrar will contact May and August 2020 graduates with more details in the coming weeks to determine who plans to participate.
Because of logistics and limitations on the use of Kyle Field, all seating for graduates, family, and friends will be in the stands with capacity limited to 25%. The event will also require tickets for guests. At this time, we are planning ceremonies for 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day.
For students at our Galveston campus who will graduate in December, three separate commencement ceremonies will take place in the Aggie Special Events Center. There will be a ceremony for all graduate programs on December 11 at 6 p.m., and two ceremonies for undergraduate programs on December 12, to be held at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Because of spacing capabilities, these ceremonies will include students who graduated in May 2020 and August 2020. Tickets will be required.
For professional programs and for the Qatar campus, rescheduled dates for the May and August 2020 commencement ceremonies will be communicated at a later date.
As you are aware, local conditions can change rapidly. We continue to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 locally and will advise graduates and their families if any changes are warranted. Because preparation for in-person commencement at one of the largest universities in the nation requires significant advance planning, we are excited to be moving forward in assembling this very special day for our graduates.
I look forward to sharing more about these special events in the coming weeks. Updates will be posted at graduation.tamu.edu.
Sincerely,
Carol A. Fierke,
Provost and Executive Vice President