Class of 2020 Commencement Celebration planning

Dear Members of the Class of 2020,

I do hope this finds you and your loved ones doing well and staying safe and healthy. It has certainly been an extraordinary time since last March of 2020, when COVID-19 so thwarted the plans and prospects of your class. I hope you’ve been able to find your way during this challenging year. Certainly as vaccinations spread throughout the U.S., the prognosis for the pandemic is promising. But we know that globally this continues to be a very difficult time, and we have a ways to go before we are confidently “beyond” the pandemic. However, all indications are that Skidmore will be able to resume fully in-person classes and activities by the fall, and we are confident that we can safely bring the Class of 2020 back to campus next year for the authentic, inclusive celebration experience you have earned.

Today, I write to offer you a further update about plans for a Class of 2020 Commencement Celebration. Since my last outreach on May 10, I have met and corresponded with your (former) student leaders — Jinan Al-Busaidi, Naira Abdula, Isabelle Bleckner, and David Robakidze — along with key staff from Skidmore. We seek to give people as much planning time as possible, so that the greatest number of alums from 2020 are able to attend the celebration. We also hope to include as many faculty and staff as possible, since they are eager to see you and celebrate with you. And we also want to make this event affordable for everyone, which means finding a time when the Skidmore residence halls are available and we can invite the entire class to stay on campus free of charge. After much discussion, we’ve developed a timeframe for scheduling this very special event. As such, we’ve identified June 3-5, 2022 as the optimal opportunity for the College to celebrate the Class of 2020 on campus. Our goal is for the Class of 2020 to have an unforgettable celebration that really feels like an appropriate and welcome triumph after enduring all the losses and hardships of COVID-19.

In an effort to put together the most meaningful and enjoyable weekend possible, we’d like to enlist your help in developing a schedule of activities that would provide the broadest appeal to your class. (Note: more specific information about overnight accommodations will be provided in the months ahead.)

Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey to help guide the planning. We’ll review your responses and work with Jinan, Naira, Isabelle and David, as well as other members of the class, to identify specific activities to include in the celebration. Based on the informal input we’ve received, there is a clear preference for recreating activities that would have taken place during Senior Week and adding opportunities to spend time with classmates, faculty and staff. We’re also hoping to learn more from you about whether involving family members and other loved ones in the weekend’s activities should be considered. One thing is clear to us all: your class did not experience the sense of closure that comes from gathering together for one final time as a class. It’s a rite of passage that solidifies your bond with one another and Skidmore. We want very much to provide opportunities for those important experiences.

I look forward to working together to provide the Class of 2020 with the experience you so richly deserve. Please help us take the next step by completing this survey as soon as you can.

All the best to you,
Marc C. Conner
President