Commencement 2023 planning update

Dear Twin Cities students,

By now, many of you may be aware of a concerning message that was sent regarding commencement for spring 2023. Because planning for commencement is still underway, we don’t have all of the details, which resulted in questions and concerns that were amplified by media coverage.

We are in the planning stages for spring 2023 graduation, which will be different this year because 3M Arena at Mariucci—the location of many previous graduation ceremonies—will be closed for renovations. The options for relocation are limited, but a current option is to combine multiple collegiate ceremonies into two large ceremonies at Huntington Bank Stadium. We understand this option, should we pursue it, would change the experience for our graduates.

Departments and colleges across the Twin Cities campus are diligently working now to develop a set of celebrations that include the aspects of commencement so important to our graduates and their families (e.g. hearing graduate’s names read, crossing the stage, and capturing photos). We should have communicated these efforts more clearly from the start and I’m sorry that our failure to do so has left so many of you with concerns.

We hear your disappointment, and we are committed to developing plans that will allow our spring 2023 graduates to be individually recognized. You have worked hard for this moment and have overcome so many challenges in your collegiate career. So I ask, with sincere humility, please be patient as we do more work on planning and communication, and we will be sure to provide you with more information as soon as it is available.

Sincerely yours,

Rachel T.A. Croson
Executive Vice President and Provost

email sent to affected Twin Cities students on October 21, 2022