Conferring of Degree ceremony taking place online May 2

Roanoke College commencement exercises have been postponed until members of the Class of 2020 and their families can safely gather again on campus. A date for the full commencement has not yet been set. However, on May 2, the College plans to celebrate the Class of 2020 with a brief online ceremony to confer degrees upon all 2020 graduates. 

This conferral is part of the traditional commencement exercises. By taking this step on the original commencement date, members of the Class of 2020 can begin new jobs and enter graduate school as official holders of a Roanoke College degree. 

The Conferring of Degrees will be broadcast via Facebook Live on Saturday, May 2, at 11 a.m. Tune in to facebook.com/roanoke. The video broadcast will be visible to everyone, even those who don’t have a Facebook account. You will need an account, however, to comment or host a watch party through Facebook. 

The live broadcast is expected to last approximately 15 minutes. Participants will include President Michael C. Maxey, Vice President and Dean of the College Dr. Richard Smith and Timothy L. Pickle Dean of the Chapel Rev. Chris Bowen. 

The degrees of bachelor of arts, bachelor of science and bachelor of business administration will be conferred during the online ceremony. The names of individual graduates will not be read. President Maxey looks forward to congratulating graduates on stage, in person, as their names are read, at the future Roanoke College commencement. The date of the future commencement ceremony will be communicated to the Class of 2020 and the Roanoke College community as soon as it is final. The College plans to survey 2020 class members prior to selecting a date.

Reach out to questions@roanoke.edu for more information.

Go Maroons!
Commencement Operations Group

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the graduates names be read at the Conferring of Degree ceremony? 
The degrees of bachelor of arts, bachelor of science and bachelor of business administration will be conferred during the online ceremony. The names of individual graduates will not be read. President Maxey looks forward to congratulating graduates on stage, in person, as their names are read, at the future Roanoke College commencement.

When will the 2020 commencement ceremony be held? 
The date of the future commencement ceremony will be communicated to the Class of 2020 and the Roanoke College community as soon as it is final. The College plans to survey 2020 class members prior to selecting a date.

When can I get my cap and gown/can you mail me my cap and gown? 
Because we postponed and did not cancel commencement, your regalia (cap, gown, hood, and tassel) will be available for pick-up at the Campus Store, lower level of Colket Center, on the day before and morning of the future commencement ceremony. Graduates are not required to order their regalia and there is no cost to them. Our usual practice is that students are measured at the time of pick-up for their attire. It is a process we have used very successfully for many years now, so there is no need for pre-measuring or pre-ordering. The company we use has a variety of sizes to accommodate students. Gowns, caps (with tassels), and hoods are all included in the regalia.

When will I receive my diploma? 
Diplomas will be mailed to the home addresses of our graduates. Estimated delivery may be difficult to predict because of challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the U.S., they may arrive as early as the end of May. For other countries, it will depend on whether the country in question is open for receipt of mail. Diploma frames are available through the online Roanoke College Campus Store.