President David Wilson announced that the City of Baltimore has yet to approve Morgan State University’s request for in-person commencement ceremonies for its graduates in an email addressed to the university on Friday, April 17.   

With the promise to give graduation ceremonies to those who were stripped of their’s last year due to the pandemic, Wilson said that a decision is expected to be made sometime next week. But until then, the university is exploring three potential options.

“Please keep in mind that the execution of the aforementioned options, ceremonies this year will not resemble our traditional ceremonies with the traditional pomp and circumstance and pageantry that many of us at Morgan have come to expect,” Wilson said in a statement addressed to the student body.

Option #1

Morgan will host two separate commencement ceremonies with guest attendance on Friday, May 14, 2021, and Saturday, May 15, 2021. The first ceremony will be held in the morning for 2020 and 2021 graduate school students and the second date will be dedicated to 2021 undergraduate students. 

Option #2

The same structure as option #1 but without guests.

Option #3

The university will hold a commencement week from Monday, May 10, 2021, to Saturday, May 15, 2021. The idea is to hold micro graduation ceremonies for 2020 and 2021 undergraduate and graduate students with an option of guest attendance.