Commencement: Important Update

Dear members of the Emerson community,

I am writing to share an update on the College’s plans for Commencement Exercises this spring.

The College is pleased to announce that Emerson’s Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2021 will feature two celebrations: an in-person celebration on the morning of May 2 and a virtual celebration on May 9. The in-person event will be held at Fenway Park in Boston, pending City of Boston approval, and will follow all required COVID-19 rules and regulations. Graduating students (including students in both Undergraduate and Graduate programs) can choose to participate in one or both of the celebrations.

In addition, I am pleased to share that we will have the opportunity to celebrate the Class of 2020, whose Commencement Exercises were cut short last year by the pandemic. All undergraduate and graduate members of the Class of 2020 will be invited to Boston for a dedicated in-person celebration, which will take place in the afternoon of May 2, also at Fenway Park.

The decision to hold these in-person events, in addition to the virtual commencement exercises, was made with thoughtful deliberation. With health and safety as our top priority, the College considered the wishes expressed by our graduates and their families, while closely consulting with state and local officials about the latest COVID-19 rules and regulations for in-person gatherings, particularly at stadiums and large venues.We anticipate that graduating students at Fenway Park ceremonies may be able to invite two guests; all will be required to sit together in pods of three people, socially distanced according to Fenway Park’s seating plan. Fenway Park will provide on-site staff to manage and support these events.

While the in-person program is still in development, the College hopes that the Fenway Park events will be a time of excitement and joy for graduates and their families. We will share more event details, including information on COVID-19 precautions and guidelines, with the classes and their families in the coming days.

Although this year’s Commencement Exercises will look different from the celebrations of years past, please know that we will strive to make these events memorable for the Class of 2021 and 2020 graduates. We look forward to celebrating their extraordinary accomplishments despite the challenges of the past year. 

Sincerely,
Lee Pelton

Please visit the commencement section of Emerson’s website for additional information about graduation.