CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire colleges and universities are planning in-person graduation ceremonies this spring, with restrictions in place because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Dartmouth College will limit its campus ceremony in June to graduating seniors and graduate and professional school graduates, with family and friends viewing online, President Philip Hanlon said in an email.
The college had hoped to also hold a delayed celebration for last year’s graduating class, but that won’t be happening, he said.
“None of these decisions come without heartbreak — for our students and their families, for our alumni, and for those of us in senior leadership who are faced with having to make them,” he said. “But it is our collective resolve to prioritize the health and safety of our community and our belief in the enduring nature of the Dartmouth fellowship that continues to strengthen our bonds, even in the midst of distance and disappointment.”
Most of the undergraduate members of the Class of 2021 are expected to be on campus for the spring term and will be tested twice a week for the virus.
The University of New Hampshire, meanwhile, is planning in-person ceremonies for both the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021, Foster’s Daily Democrat reported.
The earlier class will be celebrated during two outdoor ceremonies on May 15, with a third ceremony possible on May 14 if enough graduates express interest in returning.
The Class of 2021 will graduate the following weekend, with five ceremonies based on academic colleges. Each graduate will be allowed two guests.
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