Redesigned _ Spring 2020 Commencement

Celebrate!

Commencement (9:00 a.m. ET) followed by End-of-Year Awards (11:00 a.m. ET)

Graduating students, we are excited to share plans for celebrating you!

Thanks to the many students, faculty and staff who contributed to this redesigned commencement celebration after coronavirus changed everyone’s plans. We know from your feedback and conversations that above all else, you want to be together for commencement, and nothing will replace that in-person, together experience. You’ve asked to be able to come together in the fall. You asked that your work be on exhibit. You’ve asked to be recognized and celebrated.

And that’s exactly what we’re going to do now…and later!

May 7, 2020, 9:00 a.m. ET: Virtual Ceremony

The commencement ceremony is at commencement.utk.edu.

The ceremony also will be linked on the college’s homepage, virtual exhibition webpage, Facebook and Twitter, as well as UT’s Facebook and Twitter.

UT is providing a virtual ceremony and other activities. The virtual ceremony on May 7, 9:00 a.m. ET, will include

• Remarks by Chancellor Plowman
• Speech by Dean Poole
• Speech by our 2020 commencement speaker, Cindy Allen, editor-in-chief, Interior Design magazine: Watch Cindy Allen’s 2020 commencement speech
• Speeches by students from our programs

And UT is providing these additional ways to commemorate the moment:

• A beautifully designed box filled with commemorative items mailed to you
• Individual student slides on the virtual commencement video webpage that include your name, program, image, quote and more
• Social media shout-outs for students and families, #utgrad2020
• Plus a live online conferral by Chancellor Plowman in mid-May (details to come…but be sure to take pix or video of you turning your tassel during the virtual ceremony!)
• Check out the details of what UT is providing, and bookmark this webpage to check for updates and links.

Watch Parties!

We hope you will gather as many family members and friends as social distancing allows to watch the ceremony, and identify a special person or way to place your hood at the appropriate time. See below for posting your commencement photos to our social media.

May 7, 2020, 11:00 a.m. ET: College Celebration for our Students

• End-of-Year Celebration and Awards: Following the virtual commencement ceremony on May 7, a Zoom session for everyone in the college to celebrate the end of the year and student and faculty awards. The Zoom link and password were sent to everyone in the college via e-mail.

And the college is providing these additional ways to celebrate our graduating students:

• Special commencement webpage with convenient links to all of the virtual activities from UT and more
• Virtual exhibit of your work on the commencement webpage and shared on the college’s Instagram account
• Opportunities to post your special photos on social media with #UTKCoADgrads and @utkcoad
• New Zoom background specifically for your at-home commencement photos
• A special mailing that will contain meaningful items mailed to you from the college

But we won’t stop there.

We heard you:  Above all, you want to be together to celebrate graduation and say a proper “goodbye.” UT is working to schedule a live commencement for spring 2020 graduates to possibly be held in early fall 2020. On that day, some of you will also attend the Chancellor’s Honors Banquet, and all of you can attend UT’s traditional Aloha Oe ceremony. We will keep you updated as those plans, which of course must follow the guidelines around COVID-19, become more developed. In the meantime, keep reading!

Fall 2020: Reception and Exhibit for Spring 2020 Graduates

Regardless of whether UT is able to hold a live commencement in early fall, your college plans to offer something very special after we’re able to gather on campus again:

• Reception for you, your family and your friends
• Live exhibit of your work

We commend you for your bravery this semester, your leadership, your mentoring and your resilience. We can’t wait to celebrate you in May and in the fall.

Whether virtual or live…whether here or there…Celebrate your moment!

[Please note: We’ve done our best to ensure these plans are set, but because of the still rapidly evolving situation with coronavirus, some details might be forced to change. We will keep you informed.]