Posted April 19, 2021 by Wheaton College Parent Engagement
Tags: Parent Announcements
Dear Parents,
May is quickly approaching and your senior is rounding the corner to the finish line! Congratulations to them, and to you, for powering through this exceptionally challenging year.
As a result of the pandemic, we have all become practiced at holding joy in one hand and disappointment in the other. This juxtaposition holds true for Commencement 2021. While we are thrilled to host an on-campus and in-person Commencement for the students, we are saddened that family and friends will not be allowed to attend due to Illinois' public health guidelines.
Here is some important information:
- Family and friends are invited to watch the Commencement ceremony via livestream; a link will be sent in the coming weeks. The outdoor ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday, May 9 CDT and will be roughly two hours in length. A printed Commencement program will be sent, in advance, to parents. View Commencement FAQs.
- A professional photographer will take a picture of your student and the College will cover the cost of a photo; more information will be sent to your student's my.wheaton.edu email address following Commencement.
- The Wheaton College Alumni Association will gift each graduate with an umbrella and rain poncho in case of rain (though we are praying fervently for sunny skies!).
- If you would like to honor your student by placing a "Congratulations" yard sign in your lawn, you are invited to download a generic yard sign or a customizable yard sign and send it to your local print shop to be printed.
MOVING OUT DETAILS: Graduating seniors must be moved out of campus housing by noon on Monday, May 10 and families of seniors are welcome to assist in a COVID-safe manner. If you are on campus for this purpose, you are welcome to take photos of your graduate if you follow the College’s COVID-Safe protocols (when outside, you can remain unmasked if you are six feet or more away from people not in your family and masked if you are closer than six feet). Please keep in mind that, due to State of Illinois guidance, groups will not be allowed to congregate on campus for large celebrations before, during, or after Commencement.
- Move out times are Saturday, May 8, noon – 9 p.m., Sunday, May 9, noon – 9 p.m., and Monday, May 10, 8 a.m. – noon. Campus housing closes to seniors at noon on Monday, May 10.
- Families are encouraged to quarantine and monitor symptoms before arriving on campus and all parents and siblings are required to wear face masks while in campus housing.
- Student meal plans end with dinner on Sunday night, so please plan accordingly.
We are so proud of our Class of 2021 and I look forward to welcoming them into the Alumni Association at Commencement. May God continue to be their greatest hope and strong refuge in the days, months, and years ahead.
Sincerely,
Cindra Stackhouse Taetzsch ’82
Senior Director for Vocation and Alumni/Parent Engagement
Executive Director, Wheaton College Alumni Association