Livestream Here - May 17, 2020
12:00pm EDT - Photos and Music
1:00pm EDT - Conferral of Degrees

The commencement ceremony on May 17 will be held online as a degree conferral, and a traditional on-campus commencement celebration has been scheduled for the spring of 2021.

Father Jenkins made this decision after discussions with experts on infectious diseases, University deans, and student government and class officers as he continued to monitor the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“The Notre Dame Commencement and the events leading up to it mean so much to our graduates, their families, our faculty and to me personally, and so it is with greatest regret that I tell you we will not be able to gather you on campus for Commencement this May.”

After speaking with Class of 2020 officers, Father Jenkins also announced that the University plans to bring this year’s graduates back to campus on Memorial Day weekend 2021 to, in his words, “spend time with your friends, classmates, faculty and others who have been part of your Notre Dame experience … and celebrate your accomplishments.” Details will be announced in coming months.

Father Jenkins harkened back to graduates of Notre Dame’s Class of 1879, who were sent home before the end of the semester when a fire in April destroyed the Main Building, which at the time housed much of the University’s academic, housing, dining, administrative and other functions.

“The University, and that class, arose from the ashes of 1879 even stronger,” Father Jenkins wrote. “You will as well.”