What:    The Western New Mexico University spring 2020 virtual commencement ceremony. Originally, WNMU had surveyed the graduates and determined to hold graduation in-person this August; however, as mass gatherings will likely not be advisable until a vaccine is created for COVID-19, the university has chosen to honor its 2020 graduates with a virtual ceremony. Due to these special circumstances, this group of WNMU graduates will also be allowed to walk across the stage at any future in-person commencement ceremony.

Who:     WNMU President Dr. Joseph Shepard and members of the class of 2020, who will design their own cap and gown ensembles, create their own diplomas to receive from loved ones, and select the venues of their choice.

When:   Commencement will be held live on Friday, May 29, 2020, at 2 p.m.

Where: The ceremony will be held virtually with graduates attending over Zoom and guests attending through live video streams on wnmu.edu and Facebook.

How:     The video feed of the WNMU spring 2020 commencement ceremony will go live at the appointed time. After opening remarks, the WNMU honors students will be recognized, and the conferral of degrees will follow. When each participating graduate’s name is called, the named individual will have 15 seconds in the spotlight to walk across their chosen stage and receive their handcrafted diploma. Once the graduates have received their diplomas, Dr. Shepard will close ceremony, and the sound of Sir Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance” will send the newly minted alumni off.