April 2, 2020 | College Communications

Dear North Central College Community,

I am very excited to announce that North Central College will webcast a technology-facilitated commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, which is the date and time of the College’s originally scheduled graduation event.

Commencement is one of the College’s great highlights each year, serving as the culmination of an educational journey for our students and a moment of pride for faculty and staff. We all face an unprecedented set of circumstances this year, which have necessitated a spirit of flexibility and adaptability to envision a way of celebrating the Class of 2020. I have provided below some additional information regarding this webcast event.

Reading the Names of Graduates
For this webcast, graduates will be invited to select a member of the College’s faculty or staff to videotape reading the graduate’s name. All videos will be collected and stitched together to symbolize the moment in the Commencement ceremony where each graduate walks across the stage. It is our hope that graduates will identify a particular member of the campus community who played a meaningful and influential role in helping the graduate realize their life’s direction. I believe this will be a particularly touching moment for graduates, and for our faculty and staff.

Student Speaker
We will once again feature a student speaker. Graduates who are interested in giving an approximately 3-5-minute address as part of the webcast will be invited to submit a video of their speech. A panel of faculty and staff will choose the finalist, and a video of the student speaker’s remarks will air as part of the ceremony.

Viewing the Webcast
It is our hope that families can simultaneously view the webcast at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, share pictures via social media, and celebrate your momentous occasion.

Additional Details
Mary Reynolds, associate director of alumni engagement and coordinator of major campus events, and the entire Commencement Planning Committee will soon be communicating additional details that will be important for this event to come together by May 3.

Future In-Person Event
It remains the College’s intention to host an in-person Commencement ceremony later this year when circumstances will allow. The committee will continue its planning for an in-person event, and will communicate additional details once a date and time is chosen.

The Class of 2020
It gives me great joy to share this news with you, and I look forward to celebrating the Class of 2020 to mark this important milestone. Best wishes as you complete the spring semester!

Troy D. Hammond
President