Samford to Hold In Person Commencement Ceremonies, Celebrate 2020 Graduates

Published on April 14, 2021 by Holly Gainer

This image was taken in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Samford University will hold in person commencement ceremonies to celebrate its 1,340 graduates. The students will be honored during five ceremonies, taking place in late April and early May. Graduates from the class of 2020, who received their degrees via virtual commencement ceremonies due to the pandemic, will also be recognized with a special celebration event on campus.

“Our students have persevered during these challenging times and they, along with their families, deserve to be honored for their diligent work, patience and willingness to adapt during a tumultuous year,” said Samford University President Andrew Westmoreland. “I am overjoyed that we can hold our commencement ceremonies on our beautiful campus and celebrate our students’ accomplishments in person.”

While the five ceremonies and the 2020 celebration will be on campus, the number of guests allowed per graduate is limited due to the ongoing pandemic. For those who are unable to attend, all commencements will be available via livestream at: samford.edu/live.

The schedule of programs and speakers includes:

Friday, April 23, 10 a.m., College of Health Sciences Graduate Students, Seibert Stadium; Speaker: Andrew Westmoreland, president of Samford University.
Friday, April 30, 11 a.m., Beeson Divinity School, Andrew Gerow Hodges Chapel; Speaker: Rev. Dr. Andrew Brunson, a missionary in Turkey for 23 years who was falsely arrested in 2016 and released in 2018.
Friday, May 7, 10 a.m., College of Health Sciences Undergraduate Students, Seibert Stadium; Speaker: Andrew Westmoreland, president of Samford University.
Friday, May 7, 4 p.m., Cumberland School of Law, Leslie Stephen Wright Fine Arts Center; Speaker: Cassandra W. Adams, dean of students, Wake Forest University School of Law; former assistant dean for Public Interest Programs and Cumberland Community Mediation Center, Cumberland School of Law.
Saturday, May 8, 10 a.m., Howard College of Arts and Sciences; Brock School of Business; Orlean Beeson School of Education; School of the Arts, Seibert Stadium; Speaker: Andrew Westmoreland, president of Samford University

The celebration event to honor 2020 graduates will take place on Saturday, April 24, at 10 a.m. at Seibert Stadium. It will include an acknowledgement ceremony recognizing the graduates who obtained degrees with a reception to follow.

Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.