George Grant Jr., Penn State Berks’ newly appointed chancellor, will deliver the keynote address during spring 2021 commencement ceremonies on May 8.
WYOMISSING, Pa. — Spring graduates will have an opportunity to walk across the stage during the Penn State Berks spring 2021 commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 8. Students will be divided into two groups based on their degree program and assigned one of two ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The event will be held at the Santander Arena, located at 700 Penn St. in downtown Reading. All guests are required to wear masks and abide by strict social distancing guidelines.
George Grant Jr., Penn State Berks’ newly appointed chancellor, will deliver the keynote address. Grant took the reins as chancellor of the college on Jan. 4. Formerly professor and dean of the College of Community and Public Service at Grand Valley State University in Michigan, he was responsible for undergraduate and graduate programs in criminal justice; public, nonprofit and health administration; legal studies; hospitality/tourism management; and social work; as well as a police academy and the college’s undergraduate advising center and the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy.
Students will be provided with four guest tickets for their ceremony, which will also be livestreamed so that additional family and friends may take part, including those who cannot wear masks due to medical reasons. Attendees should be aware that all COVID-19 protocols, including masking and physical distancing, will be strictly followed at the in-person ceremonies. This includes physical distancing between all seats.
In addition to the in-person ceremonies, graduates will also have the option of participating in a University-wide virtual ceremony. This is one way to make the ceremony accessible for all our students and their loved ones. Graduates, friends and family members can join the virtual ceremony at 6 p.m. Sunday, May 9, at virtual.commencement.psu.edu. Campus-specific MarchingOrder webpages will be posted, including digital slides with each graduate’s name and major, regardless of in-person attendance or viewing of virtual ceremonies. The MarchingOrder webpages also will include video messages from our student marshal(s) and other information.
Students will receive an email message to their Penn State email account with a link to the Marching Orders site to register. All guests also will need to be registered to attend. Students are encouraged to continue to check their Penn State email account for updated information as plans are finalized.
For more information, visit the Penn State Berks graduation website.
