Commencement ceremonies, public health requirements

May 5, 2021

Dear Cornell Community,

Following on last week’s announcement, we have now adjusted the Commencement schedule to allow graduates to bring up to two guests. In accordance with New York state guidelines, we will hold four Commencement ceremonies that will span both Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30; the Ph.D. Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 28.

We are also sharing some early information to help graduates and their guests plan ahead to safely participate in the events. The schedule of in-person Commencement events at Schoellkopf Field, along with tentative arrival times, is listed at the end of this message.

Guests

Each graduate will be allowed to invite up to two guests to their in-person ceremony. The Office of Commencement Events will send a message to graduates next week with information on registering the names of your guests for ticketing purposes. Please bear in mind that, due to distancing requirements, space remains limited in the stands. Under no circumstances are guest tickets transferable.

Public health requirements

In accordance with New York state guidelines, all graduates and guests at in-person Commencement ceremonies must provide one of the following in order to attend:

Proof of being fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine that is authorized for use in the U.S. Being fully vaccinated means that you are two weeks after the second dose in a two dose series (Pfizer or Moderna), or two weeks after a single dose vaccination (Johnson & Johnson).

• Graduates who have been vaccinated should submit documentation through the Proof of Vaccination process available on the Daily Check website.

• Guests who are fully vaccinated with a U.S.-authorized vaccine must show proof of vaccination on the day of the event.

or

Documentation of a negative COVID-19 test taken on or after Thursday, May 27. For logistical reasons, all graduates and attendees who are not fully vaccinated must present a negative COVID-19 test result consistent with this guideline, without exception.

• Graduates will have the opportunity to schedule an appointment for COVID-19 testing at Cornell testing facilities on Thursday, May 27.

• Guests must make arrangements to be tested at a facility that uses a PCR-based testing. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a directory of testing sites in the U.S. Testing should be completed on or after Thursday, May 27 with enough time to receive the result and present this documentation the day of the event.

• Proof of being fully recovered from a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 within the last 90 days will also be accepted.

Graduates will receive additional information about these requirements in the coming days.

In addition, graduates and guests will be required to wear face coverings and maintain six feet of physical distance between individuals or family units during the Commencement events, regardless of their vaccination status. These public health measures are required by the State of New York.

Sincerely,

Mary Opperman
Commencement Chair, and Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer