Dear President Turner, Provost Skinkle, Administration and Board of Trustees; 

We, the students of Southwest Baptist University, are in opposition to the University’s decision to cancel commencement exercises in-person and replace it with a virtual commencement; with no potential in-person commencement named for the future. 

We the students understand the gravity of the current pandemic, as well as how it has forced changes to the May 2020 commencement ceremonies. However, we the students would rather wait to do an in-person commencement in lieu of a virtual one. 

While we understand the University is planning ‘an event during homecoming for May Graduates to gather’, this event, unless stated to be an October commencement for the May graduates, does not equal the importance of an actual commencement. 

The May class of 2020 has spent countless hours, days, weeks, months, years, and money to make it to graduation day. A virtual commencement to commemorate all this hard work and tuition money is insulting and degrading. 

It is for these reasons we humbly urge you to consider postponing in-person commencement to August (such as the University of Central Missouri has done) or to contact the senior class of May 2020 to hear when they would like an in-person commencement. Like currently planned, everyone who is eligible to receive their diploma, should; as they are usually mailed out after commencement anyways.

We patiently await a response from you, 

Sincerely, 

The May Class of 2020 and Their Supporters