Published: October 15, 2020
To the Thomas College Community,
In May, the College announced that for the safety of our community, we had to cancel our on-campus 2020 Commencement Ceremony. Our modified spring plans included an at-home delivery of your cap, gown, and other graduation items, a virtual commencement ceremony, and a promise that if the safety of the community allowed it, a time to come together in the fall for a proper celebratory goodbye for graduates, faculty, and staff.
While we acknowledged in the spring that a fall on-campus event was an uncertain proposition, we held on to the hope that we would be able to bring our graduates to campus safely. However, after careful consideration, weighing the risks to our Thomas College community, and to the greater Waterville area, and being mindful of Maine CDC guidelines that dramatically limit gathering size, the College has decided that it is not yet safe enough to hold a large, in-person event on campus this fall.
However, I am still committed to bringing our 2020 graduates back to campus when it is safe to do so. I have therefore asked that any spring 2021 commencement (IF we are allowed an in-person event) include honoring our 2020 graduates. Planning has just begun and more information will be available in the coming months.
I am so proud of how our community has conducted itself in these difficult times. We have each taken to heart our responsibility to kindly hold each other accountable to our safety protocols and our desire to remain together on our campus. As a member of this community, I hope you share the pride that I feel. I hope you feel comfort knowing that you will be celebrating your accomplishments with a new graduating class of Terriers that have shown the same courage and care that you did in the spring.
For the most recent updates from the Thomas College community, please visit our COVID-19 web page at https://wwwold.thomas.edu/coronavirus. You can find more information about the Thomas College Return to Campus Safely Plan at https://wwwold.thomas.edu/coronavirus/return-to-campus. If you have questions related to COVID-19, please email us at covid19@thomas.edu.
With gratitude,
Laurie G. Lachance
President