Dear Members of the Class of 2020,

I hope you are safe and well and reflecting fondly on your time at Brown, wherever your paths have taken you. I know that many families made special memories celebrating your degree completion during Brown’s Virtual Degree Conferral Ceremony last May. Now, I hope you will plan to return to College Hill to make new memories as you walk through the Van Wickle Gates in the customs of a traditional Brown University Commencement.

I’m writing to share the dates for the rescheduled Commencement and Reunion Weekend that we had to delay because of the public health crisis surrounding the global COVID-19 pandemic. The University will honor the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 during Commencement and Reunion Weekend on Friday, April 30, to Sunday, May 2, 2021. This planning assumes that public health conditions will allow large events to safely take place, and dates could shift if public health guidance prompts changes to Brown’s academic calendar.

The timing for this year’s Commencement is earlier than usual, and this is to accommodate plans for a three-term calendar for the 2020-21 academic year. In light of the pandemic and the need to reduce the number of students on campus to align with distancing and other public health protocols, students will receive instruction in shorter fall, spring and summer terms, with seniors graduating on a date earlier than usual in the spring.

I am excited for Brown to host a weekend that will be truly memorable for the Class of 2020 — celebrating its Commencement and one-year reunion at the same time. While planning for the weekend is ongoing, I can share some highlights for your class: The weekend will start on the Friday evening of April 30 with a Class of 2020 pre-Campus Dance reception. On Saturday morning, a procession through the Van Wickle Gates will lead you to a Commencement celebration in recognition of the Class of 2020. Later in the day, you will participate in Alumni Field Day, which will be followed with an event for the Class of 2020 being planned as a special conclusion to the day. On Sunday, the Class will participate as alumni in Brown’s one-of-a-kind Commencement Procession, where you will again walk through the Van Wickle Gates and cheer on the newest graduates, the Class of 2021.

In the coming weeks, further details about the weekend will be communicated and added to Brown’s Commencement website, including specific scheduling, transportation, accommodations and other information. If you have questions, please feel free to email the planning team at universityevents@brown.edu.

I look forward to welcoming you back to campus this spring. Until then, please take care of yourself and those you love.

Sincerely,

Christina H. Paxson
President of Brown University