Dear Columbia College Family,
I write to you in these final weeks of your student’s career as a Columbia undergraduate with mixed emotions. On the one hand, it is truly heartbreaking to know that I will not see you and your grad in person during Commencement Week. I have gotten to know many of you personally over the past four years, and I know how much we were all looking forward to congratulating the Class of 2020 in Morningside Heights.
On the other hand, there is still a great deal to celebrate! Your student has enjoyed countless accomplishments in their time at Columbia, and your family has contributed a great deal to these successes. I hope that you will find ways to recognize and honor this milestone on Tuesday, May 19 for virtual Class Day and Wednesday, May 20 for University Commencement. We will be here in New York City, celebrating virtually along with you.
Many of you have written to express your desire for an in-person celebration on campus. We are committed to a future in-person Class Day when it is safe to do so, in addition to having these virtual celebrations to acknowledge the Class of 2020 at the moment they will be earning their degrees.
Read on for information about accessing the virtual ceremonies and to get some ideas for putting together your own celebration from home.
Warm regards,
Sue Jordan
Director of Family Outreach and Support
Student and Family Support
Columbia College | Columbia Engineering
ugrad-family@columbia.edu
Virtual Ceremonies
As Dean Valentini announced in April, Class Day will be held virtually this year on Tuesday, May 19 at 10:00 a.m. EDT. University Commencement will also be held virtually on Wednesday, May 20 at 11:00 a.m. EDT. You will receive another email with links to watch the ceremonies prior to Commencement Week. We will also post the links on the GradZone website.Say Congratulations In Writing!
The Columbia Daily Spectator is still accepting congratulatory ads for the Commencement edition. Email sales@columbiaspectator.com or visit their Commencement 2020 website for more information.Multicultural Graduation Celebrations
These ceremonies celebrate the accomplishments of students who have engaged in one or many of Columbia's diverse communities. Recently, students received information regarding participation dates and times.These ceremonies also feature "Family Appreciations," a beloved tradition when families and friends share words for their graduating student or the entire class. Given our virtual platform this year, we invite you to submit a short video (30 seconds or less) in support of participating students and the Class of 2020 by Sunday, May 10 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
-
Family Tributes for Asian Graduation
-
Family Tributes for Black Graduation
-
Family Tributes for FLI Graduation (first-generation college students)
-
Family Tributes for Latinx Graduation
-
Family Tributes for Lavender Graduation (LGBTQA students)
-
Family Tributes for Native Graduation (indigenous students)
