SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Community Colleges of Spokane (CCS) announced college graduations will be held in person on June 17, 2022, after two years of virtual and canceled graduations due to the worldwide pandemic.
The announcement comes two days after Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday that the state's indoor mask mandate will be lifted on March 12, nine days earlier than his previous recommendation.
According to the press release, graduates of the 2020 and 2021 classes, who didn't have in-person graduation, will be invited to join the CCS commencement ceremony and walk across the stage along with the 2022 graduates.
“This direction – backed by solid public health data and guidance – is a good indication that the worst of the pandemic is behind us," Spokane Community College (SCC) president Kevin Brockbank said in a statement.
In 2020, Spokane Community College (SCC) and Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC) administrators had to cancel the in-person ceremonies to honor 2,150 students earning degrees and certificates as Spokane County was going through Phase 2 of the governor's reopening plan.
The 2020 student class instead received graduation packages in the mail and an invitation to participate in the 2021 commencement ceremonies, but the 2021 commencement ceremony was switched to a virtual one as COVID cases increased.
“We’ve had remarkable success in following health guidelines to keep people safe while providing students with an uninterrupted excellent education,” Kimberlee Messina SFCC president said. “We look forward to everyone gathering together at our graduation celebrations to honor our students.”
CCS also announced that masks will be optional on all campuses beginning Saturday, March 12. Campuses will continue providing masks for those who wish to continue wearing them.