Dear Class of 2022,
I hope you are enjoying your final fall semester at Ithaca College. I believe I speak for all of our faculty and staff when I say how wonderful it has been to welcome you back to South Hill this fall, and to support you as you complete your journey as an Ithaca College student.
My purpose in writing to you today is to share the college’s plans for your Commencement on Sunday, May 22, 2022. As a result of the tumultuousness of the last two academic years, we gained critical insight into how best to celebrate you at your Commencement as we live with COVID and its effects.
At Commencement last May, we saw how meaningful it was for students to walk alongside, sit next to, and graduate with their friends from across campus. We saw the joy to be had in focused, student-centered graduation experiences that leveraged an innovative approach. Mostly, we saw how this final moment of our students’ IC experience must be protected and preserved—never more true than for this Class of 2022, which has weathered such adversity during your college experience.
With this in mind, on Sunday, May 22, 2022, Ithaca College will host two Commencement ceremonies in Glazer Arena, in the Athletics and Events Center. Understanding that the impact of COVID has altered so many of our students’ college trajectories, the May 2022 Commencement ceremonies will be offered to students who are graduating in October and December 2021, and in May, June, August, October, and December 2022.
One ceremony will be at 9:00 a.m. ET; the other at 3:00 p.m. ET. Each ceremony will accommodate 650 graduates. You will have an opportunity to sign up for your choice of ceremony—please watch your inbox in mid-February for an email with the ceremony sign-up links.
Each graduate will be provided with six guest tickets. Alternative viewing locations will be set up on campus for any guests who cannot join us in the Glazer Arena or who need special accommodation. Both ceremonies will be livestreamed.
Please note that we will follow college public health protocols and guidelines in existence at the time of these on-campus events.
Class of 2022, it is our intention to offer you a meaningful, joyful moment that is reflective of all the magic that is Ithaca College. I cannot wait to celebrate with you and your loved ones in May.
Sincerely,
La Jerne Terry Cornish
Interim President