A Message from President Davis-Blake about Commencement 2020

Dear Class of 2020,

I hope that you are safe, healthy and keeping in close touch with your friends and family during this challenging time. The global spread of COVID-19 has affected our Bentley community in so many ways. Every aspect of campus life has been disrupted, as you know well. As the country and the world continue to take significant steps to protect our society, I wanted to share an important update about this year’s Commencement. Due to the global public health crisis, and with increased travel restrictions and state and federal orders against large gatherings, we have made the very difficult decision to postpone Bentley’s Commencement ceremony until later this year.

I know this decision will be disappointing for many. Nothing about the second half of this semester has been ideal. But I wanted to share this news and my thoughts directly with you.

Though we’d all prefer to hold the ceremony in May, plans are in development that will still allow us to come together on our beautiful campus to celebrate you, the Class of 2020. While the ceremony itself will be moved to later this year, we will still confer your degrees in May, allowing you to start jobs or continue your academic journeys as planned.

In the coming weeks, our University Events Office will confirm details related to a new date for the ceremony, and follow-up details will be shared with all of you. There are many important elements that must carefully come together as we update our plans, but we felt it was important to be open and transparent about May’s postponement as soon as possible so that you can adjust your plans accordingly. We’ve also created this website to answer any questions you may have. These FAQs will continue to be updated as more information is available.

I hope that you and your families continue to stay healthy and safe during these challenging times. The entire Bentley community continues to be in my thoughts.

I look forward to joining you at our new ceremony later this year.

President Davis-Blake