Topeka, Kan. – Due to the increase of COVID-19 cases in Shawnee County and an increase of cases on campus, Washburn University has decided to postpone plans for a celebration of winter semester graduates for the time being. The university has not set a date for a future celebration at this point.
Candidates for graduation along with faculty and staff received the email below this afternoon:
To the Washburn Community:
The number of COVID-19 cases are rising in Shawnee County and at Washburn University with an additional cluster on campus last week. Due to these increases in cases and hospitalizations along with the projections for the future, we have made the very difficult decision to postpone the celebration of graduation for this fall semester.
We will reschedule graduation celebrations at some point in the future. Due to the uncertainty of the pandemic, we will wait for appropriate circumstances to finalize and announce the plan.
We know our graduates are disappointed, as are our faculty and staff. Graduation is an important milestone and one of the all-time favorite events on campus. It marks a significant passage in the lives of our students and we love celebrating with them. However, with the pandemic worsening at this point, the responsible choice is to postpone the event.
As we complete the semester, we will host a virtual event similar to the celebration at the end of last spring. This virtual event will include messages of support and encouragement from Dr. Farley, myself and from many of our deans. It is not a substitute for our usual graduation celebration, but it will be recognition for the graduates’ diligent work and dedication in completing their education under these truly exceptional circumstances. We will share more information about the virtual event in December.
And, as we approach Thanksgiving, I do want to express my admiration for all of you in persisting despite the challenges. Please stay safe over the next weeks as together we bring the semester to a successful close. Please maintain your vigilance over the Thanksgiving break so you can be well and stay healthy. We look forward with great expectation to the time in the near future when we can once again greet you in person and celebrate your achievements properly.
Sincerely,
Dr. JuliAnn Mazachek
Vice President of Academic Affairs
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