To: Class of December 2020
From: Commencement Committee
Date: October 12, 2020
Subject: Save the Date to Celebrate December 16 and 17
Dear Class of 2020,
The Commencement Committee is so impressed by your grit and perseverance during this challenging time. We wish each of you luck as you complete your final courses and prepare for life after graduation. Thank you for your continued support and patience as we plan to celebrate your achievements.
We are delighted to ask you to Save the Date for an online commencement ceremony. We will be hosting virtual ceremonies on Wednesday, December 16 for Graduate students and Thursday, December 17 for Undergraduate students. Both events will be available at 10 a.m. They will also be available for continued viewing after the events.
Hosted by President Hrabowski and campus leaders, these events will include speaker remarks, campus photos, and individual slides recognizing each graduate. The slides will be made available for download. We encourage all of you and your families to participate in the ceremony by sharing on social media during the initial screening. We are confident you will see many members of our community cheering you on. Also, keep an eye on your mailbox﹘you’ll be receiving a special school spirit package.
Each graduate who chooses to participate in the online ceremony will have a slide featuring their photograph, name, and Latin honors earned. You will soon be receiving an email inviting you to record your name and upload a photograph for the online ceremony. In order to participate in the online ceremony, you will have to log into the website using the link in the email and confirm your name and degree information. Once you have logged into the website, you will be able to provide the correct pronunciation of your name and upload a photograph for your slide. The email will include technical requirements for photos. Name pronunciations must be uploaded by November 22 and photographs must be uploaded by December 6.
Be creative and personalize your photograph! Did you purchase a graduation cap? Decorate and share it using #UMBCgrad! If you have not yet ordered your cap and gown or regalia and would like to do so, contact the UMBC Bookstore.
Undergraduate caps and gowns must be purchased through the Bookstore, and you may wear them when we hold an in person-ceremony in the future.
Masters and Ph.D. graduates may rent regalia through the Bookstore. You will be responsible for shipping the regalia back to the third-party vendor, Herff Jones, using the shipping label provided. Masters and Ph.D. graduates who rent regalia now for photos will need to rent regalia again if you wish to participate in the future in-person ceremony.
There is no need to order a cap and gown to participate in online ceremonies. If you choose not to order regalia, you can show off your Retriever spirit in your best black and gold. All photographs will be reviewed, so please make sure it is appropriate and does not contain offensive images or language. We also ask that your photograph not contain other peoples because we cannot confirm their consent to be pictured online.
For questions, please contact the Commencement Committee commencement@umbc.edu.
