In what I hope will be my final column dealing with a worldwide pandemic, I want to celebrate the announcement that Mizzou will honor recent graduates with safe, in-person commencement ceremonies. This is great news not only for the class of 2021 but also for the class of 2020 and their families. The campus is planning three commencement weekends spanning late April through mid-May to accommodate graduates and their guests. We all recall how important commencement was to our Mizzou experience, so I appreciate the time, effort and coordination in making it a reality this spring.
In many ways, the commencement news exemplifies the fruits of all the rethinking and retooling that have taken place during the past year. In March, I interviewed President Mun Choi for a MIZ Talk on the first anniversary of campus moving to remote work. Looking back, it’s remarkable what the Mizzou family has been able to accomplish together as campus colleagues went above and beyond to serve our students. The adjustments were considerable, and I’m confident that we have leveraged this experience to make Mizzou stronger moving forward.
Commencement might look a little different this year — the safety of the Mizzou family will be our priority — but carrying out this rite of passage in person is a hopeful milestone. As next steps, President Choi has announced plans for campus to be at full capacity for in-person classes this fall, and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is planning for the same at Memorial Stadium to cheer on our Tigers. These are exciting moments to anticipate as we emerge from the pandemic. Onward and upward, Tigers!
Todd McCubbin
Executive Director, Mizzou Alumni Association
This blog was originally featured in the Spring 2021 issue of MIZZOU Magazine.