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Saturday, May 23, 2020

Alfred State College to hold virtual commencement June 20

After collecting feedback from hundreds of seniors about their preferred type of commencement celebration, Alfred State College has decided to honor its Class of 2020 by holding a virtual graduation ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 20. The date was selected to be the first Saturday following when final grades are posted for spring courses.
Alfred State President Dr. Skip Sullivan said, “Commencement is a major milestone in the academic careers of our students. It represents the culmination of years of hard work and dedication to their chosen fields of study. We wanted to be able to recognize these students and their success, especially given the trying circumstances under which they were able to finish up their degrees. We are delighted, after receiving the commencement survey results, to move ahead with the virtual ceremony and look forward to honoring our graduates in this way.”
The ceremony will be presented as a Microsoft Teams Live Event, in which students, their families, and friends will be able to participate in the virtual celebration by going to www.AlfredState.edu/Commencement and joining the event.
While it may be online, the 2020 commencement will still feature all the usual elements of an in-person ceremony, including student speakers, conferment of degrees, and even the car giveaway drawing typically held at the end of the event. Alfred State will also recognize alumnus Burt Zweigenhaft with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. He is a key industry thought leader and an accomplished executive in the specialty-biotech pharmaceutical and oncology care ecosystems.
Alfred State will provide all graduates with some additional keepsakes to commemorate their monumental achievements. In June, the college will ship a celebratory package to students’ homes that will include a 2020 tassel, graduation cap, and diploma cover. Diplomas will be mailed in August after all degree requirements are confirmed.
Additionally, as rules regarding mass gatherings change, Alfred State will look for an opportunity in the future to invite all of the 2020 Pioneer graduates back to campus for photos and fellowship.
“We’d love to provide students, their families, and friends with the opportunity to come together, take photos, and celebrate with us and one another in person,” Sullivan said. “In the meantime, I would like to congratulate all our Pioneer graduates on their success, and I look forward to celebrating with them virtually on June 20.”