WASHINGTON — Georgetown University has canceled its homecoming festivities planned for the fall due to concerns over COVID-19 and its variants still impacting communities across the United States.
The Hoya, Georgetown's student-run newspaper, first reported the move by the private Jesuit-Catholic university located in the heart of the District that serves roughly 7,500 undergraduates at its campus.
"We have made the difficult decision to forego Homecoming Weekend this fall," said Paul Lanzone, Georgetown University Associate Vice President of Alumni Engagement, in a statement to WUSA9. "Please know we remain committed to engaging and celebrating our students and alumni ... throughout this year we will highlight other opportunities for our students to learn about and celebrate our many, storied Hoya traditions ... providing alumni various opportunities to celebrate with one another in our alumni communities across the globe."
Georgetown Univesity did say in its letter that more information about what the school will do to engage with alumni will be released as the school year continues.
Below is the full letter from Georgetown University:
Since the onset of the pandemic, Georgetown’s first priority has been to maintain the health and safety of our campus community. As the academic year begins and we welcome our full student body back to in-person learning, Georgetown has taken a number of important steps to further ensure everyone’s safety and to prioritize academic continuity.
In a recent message to the University community, Georgetown announced enhanced guidance for on-campus events, including recommendations to limit event size. In support of these guidelines and out of an abundance of caution, we have made the difficult decision to forego Homecoming Weekend this fall. Please know we remain committed to engaging and celebrating our students and alumni. To that end, throughout this year we will highlight other opportunities for our students to learn about and celebrate our many, storied Hoya traditions, while providing alumni various opportunities to celebrate with one another in our alumni communities across the globe. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks as plans formalize, and on an ongoing basis over the course of the year.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. And please save the date for our next Homecoming Weekend (October 7-9, 2022). We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Sincerely,
Paul Lanzone
Associate Vice President, Alumni Engagement