After the previous two commencement ceremonies were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UNC is moving forward with its plans for its Spring 2021 commencement — which will be headlined by guest speakers Drs. Anthony Fauci and Kizzmekia Corbett.

“Commencement is one of the most exciting and joyous occasions on campus, and we look forward to honoring our graduates and their achievements, despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic,” wrote UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz.

UNC will hold multiple in-person, ticketed ceremonies from May 14-16 at Kenan Stadium. The ceremonies will be led by a small platform party and feature live and pre-recorded content.

Fauci and Corbett — two of the global leaders in COVID-19 research — will be the commencement speakers and their speeches will be pre-recorded. Corbett, a UNC graduate and Hillsborough native, took to Twitter on Thursday to celebrate the news, saying it was an honor to be a UNC commencement speaker.

UNC graduates will be grouped by their school or department in the College of Arts & Sciences. The schedule for each school and department will be released after ticket registration closes so the university can determine how many graduates are participating in the event. Those in attendance at Kenan Stadium for commencement must follow allow UNC COVID-19 Community Standards.

Students who wish to participate must register no later than March 18 and may bring up to two guests to the ceremony.

UNC also clarified that it is still working on finalizing plans to celebrate the Class of 2020, whose ceremonies were postponed due to the pandemic. Guskiewicz said the plan is to hold a celebration during the weekend of October 9-10 in Chapel Hill.

“Although this will not be a traditional ceremony, it is our best opportunity to safely come together to celebrate a significant milestone in our students’ lives,” said Guskiewicz. “We will continue to keep you updated and look forward to seeing you in May.”

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Featured image via National Institutes of Health

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