Texas A&M Announces Commencement Plans

Texas A&M University announced it will hold in-person commencement ceremonies in December, and additional ceremonies in February and March 2021 for commencements that were postponed due to COVID-19.

The university will conduct 15 ceremonies in December for fall 2020 graduates and 18 more in February and March 2021. The spring ceremonies will be for May and August 2020 graduates whose commencements were postponed.

“I wish to thank our faculty and staff and especially our graduating students and their families for their sacrifices in this extraordinary year,” said Provost and Executive Vice President Carol A. Fierke in an email to campus. “Every graduate deserves an in-person opportunity to celebrate their achievement. While we will continue to monitor the status of COVID-19 locally, we remain hopeful in the dates to follow and are excited to provide this information.”

More than 4,200 students will graduate at the end of the fall 2020 semester at the College Station campus. The university will hold 15 ceremonies over five days at Reed Arena Dec. 10-11 and 17-19. Ceremonies will be held at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. each day.

Efforts will be taken to ensure safe events for graduates and attendees, Fierke said, including a limit of 324 graduates at each ceremony to allow for social distancing. The events will be ticketed; each graduate will receive up to six tickets for family and friends. Face coverings will be required for all graduates, guests and university staff while inside Reed Arena, and the facility will be cleaned between ceremonies.

Just like ceremonies pre-COVID-19, each graduate will have their name called and will walk across the stage. However, diplomas will be mailed. Diploma tubes will be provided at the ceremonies to allow for pictures to commemorate the occasion.

The May and August 2020 commencement ceremonies that were postponed due to the pandemic have been rescheduled for Feb. 11-13 and 17-19, and March 11-13, 2021 at Kyle Field.

Given the larger, open-air venue of Kyle Field, the university will allow just over 950 graduating students at each ceremony. The Office of the Registrar will contact May and August 2020 graduates with more details in the coming weeks, Fierke said. The events will be ticketed and ceremonies are planned for 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day.

December commencement at the Texas A&M University Galveston Campus will be divided into three ceremonies at the Aggie Special Events Center. There will be a ceremony for all graduate programs on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m., and two ceremonies for undergraduate programs on Dec. 12 at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The events will be ticketed. Because of spacing capabilities, these ceremonies will include students who graduated in May and August 2020.

Ceremonies for professional programs and for the Qatar campus will be communicated at a later date.

Fierke cautioned that local conditions can change rapidly. “We continue to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 locally and will advise graduates and their families if any changes are warranted,” she said.

For more information and continued updates on commencement ceremonies, visit the graduation webpage.