{"id":114048,"date":"2020-03-19T10:34:36","date_gmt":"2020-03-19T20:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=114048"},"modified":"2020-12-18T08:43:46","modified_gmt":"2020-12-18T18:43:46","slug":"important-commencement-announcement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/03\/19\/important-commencement-announcement\/","title":{"rendered":"Important announcement on commencement ceremonies"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

\"coronavirus\"<\/p>\n

This message was shared with the students, faculty, and staff of the 10-campus University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> system on March 19, 2020.<\/em><\/p>\n

Aloha University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> ʻOhana,<\/p>\n

It is with a heavy heart that I come to you with this announcement. After discussions with leadership at the campuses and system level, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all traditional commencement ceremonies at 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr>\u2019s 10 campuses.<\/p>\n

This decision has been the result of many hard conversations. Commencement is one of the most time-honored traditions in our society, and it is one of the most highly anticipated celebrations throughout our university system for students, their families and friends. Commencement unites us across age, gender, ethnicity and personal background. Each year, our 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> ʻohana looks forward to sharing in one of the most significant milestones in our students\u2019 lives. It marks the end of one period of our lives and the beginning of the next. For our faculty and staff, it serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of the work we do in collaboration with students. We share in your disappointment that this unprecedented health crisis has robbed everyone of this moment.<\/p>\n

To our 糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> Community, I encourage you to think of this moment as delayed, and not a loss. Students who would have walked in this semester\u2019s ceremony will have the opportunity to participate when in-person commencement resumes. Our campuses have already demonstrated remarkable resourcefulness, and may consider postponing ceremonies to a future date or creating alternatives to the traditional ceremonies. Our community is strong, and we will come through this together.<\/p>\n