Update from President Kurt Dykstra, April 29, 2020

Greetings from a rainy Trinity Christian College campus!

Students, I hope that your projects and exams are going well and that you can see a good conclusion for all of your significant efforts during this history-making semester.

I write to remind and update you regarding the upcoming graduation events for our seniors and graduating students – and to invite your participation in these important moments!

Spring 2020 Commencement Rescheduled to December 19 at 2 p.m.

As we announced earlier, the official Saturday, May 2 commencement ceremony regrettably has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting public health measures.

That ceremony now will occur on Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 2 p.m.  While this is the same day as the Winter 2020 Commencement ceremony (which occurs at 10 a.m.), the Spring 2020 Commencement ceremony will be a separate and distinct ceremony at 2 p.m. for our Spring 2020 graduates.  We hope that the Class of 2020 will return to campus for their ceremony – and that life will have returned to “normal” long before then!

May 2 Virtual Degree Conferral Ceremony.

Though the commencement ceremony will occur in December, as a College, we strongly want to mark this important moment for our graduates on May 2, as well.

We recently announced to our graduates that Trinity will offer a short, virtual “conferral of degrees ceremony” on May 2 at 10 a.m. (Central) – i.e., at the time and date that, under normal circumstances, the commencement ceremony would have occurred.  This is not meant to be a full or replacement commencement ceremony!  However, we as a college community want to mark this significant moment of achievement for our graduates and, frankly, celebrate with them and their families even if at a distance.

To this end, we have sent to each graduate a package containing their cap and gown (with honor cords, if applicable), alumni medallion, and diploma cover.  (I’ll let you in on a poorly-kept secret:  the actual diploma document always arrives sometime after the commencement ceremony.)  It is our sincere hope that our graduates will receive these items as a symbol of their significant accomplishments and experiences during these important years of their lives at Trinity.  Those packages were sent over the weekend; we have heard that they have started to arrive.

At 10 a.m. (Central) on Saturday, May 2, we will “broadcast” a short degree conferral ceremony.  This virtual ceremony will be “live” at 10 a.m. and also playable on-demand immediately afterwards for those who are either unable to view it at that time or would prefer to do so at a later, more convenient, time for them.  Know that the entire Trinity community is invited to participate in this moment-marking experience.  Links to do so will be available at Trinity’s website, its YouTube channel, as well as various Trinity social media accounts.  You also are encouraged to spread the word about this May 2 virtual ceremony and share the links noted above.

• • • • •

Please finish the final few days of this semester well and with purpose.  Please also join your college community in congratulating and celebrating the remarkable achievements of our seniors and of all our graduating students!

Especially at this time, a time like none other, the world needs you, Trinity community!  It needs your wisdom, your faithfulness, your gifts, your skill.  We are all a Romans 12:12 people – wherever we are in the world and whatever we are called to do for God, for Good, and for the World.

Yours most sincerely,

Kurt D. Dykstra, President