Marshall University announced today that its annual winter commencement is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12, and will be virtual because of continuing COVID-19 concerns.
Two separate ceremonies, one at 9 a.m. and the other at noon, will recognize the university’s graduates from Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 and Winter 2020, respectively. Both events will be livestreamed at https://livestream.com/marshallu.
Individual student names will be read in each ceremony.
- 9 a.m. ceremony: The graduation exercise, celebrating Spring 2020 graduates, will include the awarding of an honorary degree to Robert “Bob” Simpson, former interim dean of the Lewis College of Business. The event’s guest speaker will be announced later.
- Noon ceremony: The noon ceremony will recognize Summer 2020 and Winter 2020 graduates. The speaker will be announced later. A posthumous honorary degree will be awarded in honor of jazz great Ellis Marsalis. Marsalis passed in April but was to have been honored at Marshall’s May commencement, which was cancelled because of COVID-19.
The semi-annual Countdown to Commencement event, providing students with a one-stop shop for graduation, will move its information online. Graduating students may visit www.marshall.edu/commencement for details regarding December’s commencement and pre-commencement responsibilities.