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CONTRIBUTED BY MILLIGAN COLLEGE
MILLIGAN — Milligan University has revised the university’s fall commencement ceremony, as well as the spring academic calendar, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Fall commencement:
Milligan’s fall commencement will now include four small ceremonies occurring on Friday, Dec. 4; Saturday, Dec. 5; and Friday, Dec. 11. All ceremonies will take place in the university’s Mary B. Martin Auditorium located in Seeger Chapel.
The four ceremonies will honor 2020 graduates from the university’s May, July and December terms.
“We are extremely proud of our graduates, especially their ability to be flexible during these challenging times,” said Milligan President Dr. Bill Greer. “We have worked for several months to determine the best way to help celebrate their successes while keeping everyone as safe as possible. A team of faculty and staff, with input from graduates, identified the best plan for celebrating our graduates with family and classmates this December.”
Milligan’s commencement ceremonies will occur as follows:
– Master of Education, Doctor of Education and Master of Science in Counseling graduates will be honored on Friday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m.
– Master of Arts in Humanities, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Information Systems and Emmanuel Christian Seminary graduates will be recognized on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 10 a.m.
– Master of Science in Occupational Therapy and Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies graduates will be honored on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 2 p.m.
– Undergraduate students will be awarded their degrees on Friday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m.
More details and a complete schedule of graduation activities is available online at milligan.edu/commencement.
Spring schedule:
Milligan has revised its spring academic calendar by extending the university’s winter break by two weeks, delaying the start of classes until Monday, Jan. 25. The semester will end as originally scheduled on Friday, April 23, with no spring break.
“Milligan’s spring semester will follow a similar approach to the fall, adhering to guidelines which allow us to continue to provide a distinctive educational experience while ensuring everyone’s health and safety,” said Greer.
Milligan’s safety policies for the spring will continue to focus on mitigating the risk and spread of COVID-19 within the campus community. The university will continue to be vigilant about health and safety protocols, including wearing masks, practicing physical distancing and following daily screening requirements. Milligan continues to work closely with the Northeast Tennessee Health Department in following CDC guidelines and will monitor closely the pandemic environment. Policies can be adjusted as needed.
Like the fall semester, most courses will be offered in-person. Other courses will be offered fully online or use a combination of approaches. In-person classes will continue to be offered in classrooms modified to support active learning while adhering to physical distancing and related safety protocols.
Currently, Milligan plans to hold spring commencement ceremonies as scheduled on Saturday, May 1, though those events and their format will depend on the course of the virus.
The new academic spring schedule can be viewed at milligan.edu/academics/#schedules.