Craving Closure: The Challenges of a Canceled Commencement During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

Abstract

As a result of the COVID‐19 pandemic, significant disruptions were experienced in the 2020 school year. Transitions to remote teaching and student dismissal from campuses contributed to higher rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and uncertainty about student futures. Many educational institutions in the U.S. had to cancel or modify commencement ceremonies in response to social distancing mandates. For emerging adults in college, those ages 18–25, the loss of a traditional graduation event made the transition out of school and into adult roles and responsibilities more challenging. This study, based on qualitative surveys of 38 graduates from the class of 2020 who attended a private liberal arts college and experienced a virtual graduation ceremony, reveals that without the formal closure on the liminal period of emerging adulthood and the college years, many graduates were struggling to feel a sense of being ready to move on to graduate school or adult working roles. The life course perspective is employed to examine the impacts of the disruptions to the educational experience and put the loss of rituals in context for emerging adults today.