2020 Commencement Update From President Wyatt

Published: March 18, 2020 | Author: Southern Utah University | Read Time: 2 minutes

I am sorry to inform you that the Utah System of Higher Education is requiring all public colleges and universities to postpone their commencement and graduation events scheduled for this spring. From all of us here at SUU, I express the deepest apologies to every one of you who is graduating this year and was planning to join us at commencement. We wish the circumstances were different but this is obviously out of our hands.

It was just last month that we announced with great fanfare that the 66th Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would be this year’s commencement speaker. It’s amazing how much has changed since then. We will work with Dr. Rice to, hopefully, reschedule her appearance on campus at a later date.

This is a deep disappointment to all of us and I feel for you. You may not know this, but my wife, Kathy--35 years after she first started college as a freshman--is now completing her bachelor’s degree. She is a member of your graduating class! And our youngest daughter, Naomi, is graduating with her. They were looking forward to marching and receiving their diplomas together next month. 

Please know that we will find a time to recognize your grand achievements. We will not let this milestone pass without an appropriate celebration! We have already engaged your graduating student body officers. They will be seeking your input and offering suggestions as we work together on alternative commencement plans.

You are living through history. I appreciate your patience and understanding as we respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and the adjustments that it requires of us. Your faculty and staff members here at SUU are working extra hours to make the rest of your semester as positive as humanly possible. We will get through this together.

Let me reassure you--you and this university are resilient. We are innovative. We can take all the curveballs thrown at us and still hit a homerun! We will all get through this together. And this commencement, although it will not be what you were expecting, it will be memorable! 

Best,

Scott L Wyatt

Visit go.suu.edu/coronavirus for all campus health updates.

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