Archive: Around Town

Aurora - Wells College President Jonathan Gibralter announced to the campus community this morning that the College's 152nd Commencement ceremony—originally slated for May 16, 2020—has been tentatively rescheduled for Saturday, Aug. 8 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"Our seniors have been deprived of their final semester on campus due to this international health crisis," said President Gibralter. "I have promised the class of 2020 that I have no intention of moving to a 'virtual' Commencement or canceling it entirely, as some other colleges have chosen to do. Our students and their families deserve to gather at a ceremony that celebrates their accomplishments in a safe way that also pays tribute to the College's longstanding traditions," President Gibralter added.

Gibralter also noted that the new Aug. 8 date is tentative, and will depend on what course the pandemic takes in the next several months.

New York state has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic, particularly in and around New York City. Wells College was forced to send its students, faculty and staff home in mid-March after Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a statewide ban on all "non-essential" businesses and gatherings. The majority of students have not been on campus since departing for spring break in early March, and nearly all faculty and staff will be teaching and working remotely for the remainder of the spring semester.

The names of this year's Commencement speakers will be announced at a later date.

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