Dear Clemson Family:
You are receiving this message just as our May graduation ceremonies should have been wrapping up, capping a bittersweet week for faculty, staff and, of course, all our newest graduates and their families.
At the same time, that we couldn’t all be together to celebrate the Class of 2020 this week (and we will have that celebration in the future) in no way diminishes the pride and joy we feel for our graduates.
We did our best to commemorate this milestone occasion by expressing our love and excitement this week across our social media channels and through a special website we created specifically for the Class of 2020. I also had the pleasure of narrating a special tribute video to our newest graduates, which can be seen here.
This the largest group of graduates we have ever celebrated. Nearly 4,200 undergraduates, master’s and doctoral students earned degrees this spring. This group includes some of the most accomplished students in the country, including two dozen students recognized by the most prestigious national scholarship foundations for their academic success, leadership accomplishments and commitment to service.
The Class of 2020 includes more than 500 first-generation graduates who, I’m confident, have discovered the transformational nature of a college education during their time at Clemson. We also graduated 57 student-athletes who have made us proud with their accomplishments in the classroom and on the athletic fields.
As part of our graduation celebration this week, each of our deans shared a letter to their graduates. They’re all wonderful, and I found this passage from Dean Cynthia Young from the College of Science particularly appropriate for all our graduates:
“They say that there is something special in these hills. Take some of that special magic wherever you go. And please make sure you carve out time in your lives to come back every once in a while to let us know how you are doing and to see how you can help those who follow in your footsteps.”
‘Laser focus’ on a fall return
As we close out this extraordinary semester, our staff and faculty are already fully engaged in the complex planning necessary to ensure a safe return to as close to normal operations as is possible this fall.
We are approaching the fall with a ‘laser focus’ on returning to in-person learning, as our Associate Vice President for Public Safety Greg Mullen told our Board of Trustees last month. At the same time, we recognize that our new normal will look different than in the past, and that a return to having our students back on campus can only occur in a way that is consistent with the best public health practices. For example, any scenario that involves having students back on campus will be accompanied by the capacity for COVID-19 testing and adherence to CDC guidance related to safe physical distancing, face coverings and more.
We will release the details of our plans in the near future. I can say, however, that we are looking at a phased approach that first involves bringing our employees back to our campuses and locations this summer to prepare for the fall semester.
Congratulations to the Class of 2020 – and to the faculty, staff, family, friends and others who played a critical role in your success. I could not be more proud of each of you.
In that spirit, I’d like to leave you with these words from Timothy R. Boosinger, our Interim Dean of the College or Architecture, Arts and Humanities, to our newest grads:
“Your achievement is in no way diminished by our current circumstances. If anything, it is amplified. You are part of a historic graduating class.”
“I have been inspired by how you and your fellow students have risen to our present challenges. Hold close your friendships with classmates. Hold close those bonds, and also know that you are part of a larger Clemson Family and a larger world.”
Again, all my best wishes to our amazing Class of 2020. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Go Tigers!
