Ohio University to honor 2020 graduates with in-person commencement ceremony during the fall semester

Athens event will pay tribute to Fall and Spring 2020 graduates on Sunday, September 5

Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis has announced plans to honor the institution’s 2020 graduates with an in-person commencement ceremony on September 5, 2021.

This date was selected to align with Labor Day weekend, and it will coincide with OHIO Football’s first home game on Saturday, September 4. 

“We are very excited to welcome our 2020 graduates back to Athens this fall so we can properly commemorate their great accomplishments with an in-person commencement ceremony,” President Nellis said. “We are inspired by our 2020 Bobcats for their resiliency throughout this time of adversity. It is our hope that most graduates and their family members will be able to take advantage of the long weekend and enjoy our first home football game against the Syracuse Orange while they’re in town.”

Additional details about the ceremony time and location will be released in the coming weeks, but Class of 2020 graduates should check their Catmail in June for the official invitation and RSVP link.

In March 2020, President Nellis, in consultation with student leadership, shared plans to postpone Spring 2020 ceremonies due to the pandemic. Fall 2020 graduates participated in a virtual commencement ceremony in accordance with guidance from public health experts but are still eligible for the in-person commencement ceremony in September.

As previously announced, OHIO will hold the institution’s first in-person commencement ceremonies since 2019 for Spring 2021 graduates April 30 – May 2.

For more information about the 2020 commencement ceremony, visit https://www.ohio.edu/student-affairs/commencement/future-ceremonies.