2021 Commencement Update

Date: March 19, 2021

Dear Members of the Undergraduate and Law Classes of 2021,

Earlier this week, Governor Northam announced revised COVID-19 restrictions related to graduation ceremonies. I am delighted to report that new guidelines will permit us to hold in-person commencement ceremonies for both the law and undergraduate classes of 2021 on May 7 and May 27, respectively. The ceremonies will take place on Wilson Field, rain or shine, and we anticipate that each event will be able to accommodate the entire graduating class with a limited number of guests.

We will announce more details, including the number of guests permitted per graduate, by April 5. We will livestream the events to allow anyone who is unable to attend in person to participate as fully as possible. In the event that one or both of these events cannot take place in person because of severe weather or a widespread COVID-19 outbreak on campus, we will hold them virtually.  

I’m grateful to the governor and his staff for enabling us to plan safe and meaningful commencement ceremonies for our graduates. All of us are excited to celebrate your achievements at W&L, and I encourage you to remain vigilant regarding COVID-19 protocols in the months to come so that we are in a position to host these events for you and your loved ones. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to finalize details for the ceremonies that are consistent with the new guidelines.

Will Dudley