October 9, 2020 (Jackson, Miss.) - Continuing COVID-19 restrictions require us to postpone plans for our scheduled December 12, 2020 commencement programs that were to be held in Jackson, Desoto, and Chattanooga/Dalton.
We had hoped to hold in-person gatherings at all three locations, joining together to celebrate your significant academic accomplishment. But even more important is keeping you, your family, and the faculty safe. Further, it is not expected that venues will allow large gatherings to be held in December.
We remain committed to holding an in-person commencement for you as soon as it is safe for all. When we are able to begin making those plans, we will reach out to you via your Belhaven email addresses.
As we shared with our May 2020 graduates, we want you to also be aware:
1. We will have a LIVE commencement at a safe time in the future. This is too special to settle for a virtual ceremony.
2. Given the growing number of postponed graduation programs, we are looking at a larger venue in Jackson to allow all graduates to participate in this special day.
3. You will receive your graduation credentials on your transcript in December 2020 as you normally would when you complete your degree.
4. If you need a diploma ahead of graduation in the spring, we will send it to you - employers usually only need an official transcript.
5. Currently, weplan to hold our regularly scheduled spring commencement on May 1 or 8, 2021. We will send further communication and make social media posts as soon as a final date and venue has been secured.
6. In order to receive updates, please continue to check your Belhaven email. If you have not already, you should forward your Belhaven email to your most frequently used email account by following the below instructions from Blazenet:
We are eager to celebrate your significant accomplishment in-person with you! We appreciate your understanding that the safety of ALL our students is always our utmost concern. Watch for more information in the months ahead, and make sure you follow Belhaven on social media for further updates!
How to forward your Belhaven email to your personal email:
Once you log into your Belhaven email account, click Options > My app settings > Mail. In the bar that pops up on the left of the page, click Accounts > Forwarding. Click the Start Forwarding button, type in the email address you would like your Belhaven email to be forwarded to, and click Save. If you wish to keep a copy of the forwarded messages in your Belhaven email account, click the appropriate box before clicking Save. (To stop the forwarding, repeat this process.)