April 1, 2020
Dear graduating students and families,
Last week’s announcement that traditional in-person commencement ceremonies could not be held this Spring elicited a whole range of reactions — deep disappointment, sadness, empathy, understanding. One sentiment was universal: the hard work, the challenges met, the joy of achievement are worthy of celebration. And, celebrate we will. We will do so heartily, sincerely, joyously and as a community.
We are following up to be sure you know that we are exploring many ways to celebrate and honor the Class of 2020. No ideas have been ruled out — the only decision that has been made so far is to plan virtual celebrations in June — mirroring the timing of our traditional commencement exercises.
We are still considering ways to honor all our graduates in an in-person celebration sometime later, once we know it is safe to bring people together again. The hope is that the ceremony, if possible, will have all of the pomp, circumstance, personalism and tradition that is typical of a DePaul University commencement. We ask for the community's patience while plans are considered.
Please know that until the COVID-19 situation is under control and we know that it is safe to bring large groups of people together, we cannot make a decision about a date to celebrate in person. We feel it would be inconsiderate to tell students and families that we will postpone until a certain date, only to have to change the date again to keep everyone safe.
Commencement will remain at the forefront of our conversations moving forward. We will continue to update you as we can.
As St. Vincent DePaul told us, “Love is inventive unto infinity.” We will do our best to be inventive in this challenging time so that we can celebrate the Class of 2020.
Sincerely,
A. Gabriel Esteban, president
Salma Ghanem, interim provost