BREAKING NEWS: Liberty Will Host 2021 Degree Presentation Ceremonies In-Person For The 48th Commencement

Liberty University plans to hold in-person Commencement Degree Presentation ceremonies for the class of 2021 on campus after Gov. Ralph Northam announced Wednesday afternoon his plan to lift certain COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings in light of the upcoming graduation ceremonies this May.

According to the university, the individual ceremonies hosted by each school will occur throughout the week of Tuesday, May 11 through Saturday, May 15 in various outdoor locations around campus, allowing family members and friends to attend. This change does not impact the main Commencement Ceremony, which will remain virtual.

Information on specific times and dates for each individual ceremony have yet to be released.

Under the newly drafted plan, “graduation events held outdoors will be capped at 5,000 people or 30 percent of the venue capacity,” according to the governor’s press release. The university plans to hold each individual ceremony abiding by these guidelines, hosting a total of three or more ceremonies a day within the graduation week.

As the preparation continues, the university said in its announcement it will “continue to monitor the latest state and local health guidelines in the coming weeks.”

So far, no information on this year’s Commencement speaker has been released.

Follow the Liberty Champion for more information and details about Commencement throughout the week as well as Liberty.edu/Commencement.

Hattie Troutman is the Editor-in-Chief. Follow her on Twitter at @hattrout.