At today’s February Town Hall Meeting, John Jay President Karol V. Mason announced the college’s plan to host a joint in-person commencement for the graduating classes of ’20, ’21, and ’22.

“Thankfully, we have brought Rosann Santos out of graduation retirement,” Mason said at the Town Hall meeting. “She has agreed to lead graduation one more time for classes 2020, 2021, and 2022. We will have one commencement for all three classes to celebrate that we can finally have commencement back.”

Rosann Santos, Director of Alumni Engagement, has led commencement at John Jay since 2012, but the college has not hosted an in-person commencement since 2019. 

“I assure you it is going to be equally as great as past ones,” Santos said. “Not to worry we’re going to get it done.”

Santos said that she should have more details about the commencement by the next Town Hall Meeting on March 9. There was no additional information given concerning commencement.

During the last Town Hall in December, the college announced a plan to host an in-person commencement for ’20 and ’21 graduates on January 11, but quickly delayed the commencement until spring. Given ’22 graduates would have yet to finish their degrees, it is likely that the joint commencement will take place after the spring semester concludes in May.

The announcement came after much of the Town Hall centered on the balance between reestablishing a community on campus and students’ need for distance learning.  

“We’re learning together, we’re growing together, and we’re surviving and thriving together,” Mason said in her closing remarks.