Monmouth College will hold both in-person and virtual Commencement weekend events to celebrate the Class of 2021.
The liberal arts college will celebrate its seniors with five ceremonies on May 15-16.
The celebration will begin at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 15, on Wallace Hall Plaza with the Wallace Walk, where graduates will walk across a stage in front of Wallace Hall to receive their diplomas from President Clarence R. Wyatt.
“The College’s Student Life staff worked with Scots Student Senate, our student government organization, to ask seniors what they most wanted for their Commencement weekend, given the COVID restrictions on crowd size under which the State of Illinois is still operating,” said Wyatt. “The seniors indicated that one of the most cherished moments was the walk across the stage in front of Wallace Hall to receive their diplomas.”
At 8 p.m. May 15, graduates will gather at April Zorn Memorial Stadium where the Alumni and Development Office will welcome the graduates to the Monmouth Alumni Association with the Senior Send-Off ceremony, which will include a congratulatory toast.
Under current Illinois public health guidelines, the May 15 commencement events will be for graduates only, but they will be livestreamed on the College’s social media platforms.
“Should Illinois’ status change between now and early May, we hope to be able to expand who is permitted to attend the May 15 events,” said Wyatt.
Illinois is currently in Phase 4 of the five-phase Restore Illinois reopening plan.
Monmouth will hold three virtual ceremonies on Sunday, May 16 – Baccalaureate at 10 a.m., Honor Walk at 11 a.m. and Commencement at noon. The ceremonies will be streamed on the College’s social media platforms.
“The last year has been a trying time for our students and their family members, and we appreciate their understanding as we continue to navigate this dynamic landscape,” said Wyatt.
***Report Courtesy of Monmouth College***
