University of Richmond to Celebrate More Than 1,000 Graduates This Weekend

On-campus Ceremony For Class of 2020 To Be Scheduled At Later Date
May 4, 2020

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — The University of Richmond will award more than 1,000 degrees this coming weekend. While commencement won’t be held on campus, certain features of it will be offered to graduates and their families online.

The university will award 821 undergraduate bachelor’s degrees, as well as 41 bachelor’s degrees through the School of Professional & Continuing Studies. Fifty-nine students have earned master’s degrees. The university also will award 34 MBA degrees and 117 juris doctor degrees. 

“The Class of 2020 is going to be remembered for their grit and ability to overcome significant and unexpected challenges. They are the sort of people you want by your side when there are adversity and obstacles to overcome. They occupy a unique place in University history,” said President Ronald A. Crutcher. “This class has worked hard, and we look forward to celebrating their accomplishments now and in a more traditional manner in the future.”

On Saturday, May 9, the university will make available a series of commencement-related videos at commencement.richmond.edu.

Programming consists of four pre-recorded videos, including:

  • Remarks from President Ronald A. Crutcher;
  • An address by this year’s main commencement ceremony speaker, Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation.
  • A highlight reel compiling memorable events at UR over the last four years; and
  • Shout-out videos recorded for the Class of 2020.

Graduates will receive their diplomas in the mail and will be encouraged to return to an on-campus celebration at a later date.

Class of 2020 By the Numbers

  • The Class of 2020 includes 74 international students who represent 33 countries.
  • Nearly 180 students in the School of Arts & Sciences conducted undergraduate research in arts, social sciences, humanities, and sciences.
  • This is the first year students in the Robins School of Business will graduate from UR with an entrepreneurship minor.
  • 31% of law school graduates — the highest percentage of students in Richmond Law history — earned the Carrico Center Pro Bono Certificate for completing 120 hours of service throughout their three years, collectively performing more than 7,000 hours of service.
  • The 75 members of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies Class of 2020 logged about 29,000 hours fulfilling their course service-learning requirements and Jepson internships. Two students were awarded the Jepson Scholarship to pursue a one-year master’s degree at the University of Oxford.
  • For their capstone projects, Master of Nonprofit Studies students in the School of Professional and Continuing Studies conducted more than 1,500 hours of original research with individuals and organizations from Richmond to Ethiopia.
  • Through study abroad, research, and internship programs around the world, 66% (526 students) from the class of 2020 studied abroad with university support.
  • According to the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement, 22 graduating Bonner Scholars logged about 25,810 hours of service throughout their four years. 

###