FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Fairmont State University will hold in-person commencement exercises next weekend after officials developed a safety plan with Marion County leaders.
The two days of ceremonies will begin Saturday. Each graduate will receive two guest tickets for family members, and the ceremonies will also be streamed online.
Matt Swain, the institution’s chief of police and director of emergency management, said the safety plan was developed in collaboration with Marion County Health Officer Lloyd White and the university’s leadership team.
“We’re trying to do everything we can to give these students a send-off in the safest way possible that still resembles some sense of normalcy for the institution,” Swain said.
Swain said each graduation area will be sanitized before the ceremonies. Each event will also be shorter than previous years’ ceremonies.
“Something that the institution is doing and it’s very difficult on the staff and faculty of the institution is having five graduations, so we can lower the numbers to be as safe as possible,” Swain added.
The ceremonies will take place at the Feaster Center:
— School of Nursing; Saturday at 9 a.m.
— School of Education, Health and Human Performance and Regents Bachelor of Arts; Saturday at noon.
— College of Science and Technology; Saturday at 3 p.m.
— College of Liberal Arts; Sunday at noon.
— School of Business and Aviation; Sunday at 3 p.m.