Dear campus community,

I can hardly believe we are midway through fall semester! Though the academic and social landscape we find ourselves in remains a challenge, I am proud to see how the SJSU community continues to come together in true Spartan fashion. 

Because we are so proud of our fall graduates and truly believe their achievements should be celebrated to the fullest extent possible, we are working hard on an engaging online recognition experience that will highlight their individuality and hard work. An online-only recognition can never replace the experience of a live, in-person ceremony, but we are determined to support and honor our graduates in an uplifting and memorable way.

I am sure many of you are as disappointed as I am that we are unable to gather in-person for the Fall 2020 commencement ceremonies. This decision was necessary for the sake of our students’ health and safety and that of parents, staff, faculty and other supporters. We continue to look forward to a time when we can safely host live ceremonies in the future and celebrate with all of the class of 2020.

We have a variety of activities planned throughout the semester to recognize our Fall Class of 2020, beginning on Friday, December 18 at 10 a.m. with video presentations and the launch of eight graduate recognition websites—one for each of our colleges. These sites will include video messages from college Deans, fellow graduates, alumni and the extended Spartan family. They will also feature personalized slides that we anticipate will please and delight our graduates and their families.

I am moved to see our campus community working together to help our students continue their academic journey this fall. You will hear more soon about our plans for December and the graduation celebrations that we have planned for you, but in the meantime, thank you for all you do, and best wishes for the remainder of the semester.