We’ve included some quick facts below, but please visit the 2020 Graduation Celebration page for complete details.

Q: Is there a charge for families to attend the Class of 2020 graduation celebration?

A: No, just as with a typical Commencement, there is no charge. We are delighted to host families for this celebration.

Q: I see the May 13 registration date has passed. Will you take walk-ins?

A: Unfortunately, we are not able to take walk-ins for this event. However, the ceremony will be livestreamed on the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ website, and you can watch from wherever you are!

Q: What are the health policies for families for the weekend?

A: Please refer to this summary of health policies for 2020 families and guests for this event.

Q: What are the health policies for my 2020 graduate?

A: It’s important to note that due to the different event tracks for the class and for families, your 2020 graduate has a different set of health protocols. Please remind them to check those here.

Q: What is the schedule for families attending the graduation celebration?

A: Families have their own event special track for the weekend. You can see that schedule here.

Q: How do I get to campus?

A. This resource should help.

Q: We can’t make it to campus for the celebration. Will it be livestreamed?

A: Yes! The event will be livestreamed on the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ website.

Greetings from Maine! You are an important part of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ community, and as we move into summer, we hope you will stay connected with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.

Please explore these ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ resources:

• Our colleagues in Purposeful Work are ready to help your student have a purposeful summer, even in the time of Covid-19.
• Is your student missing Commons? Try serving up a taste of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, thanks to these cooking videos from the talented folks at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Dining.
• Join us for the livestream of this year’s virtual Commencement celebration this Sunday, May 31 at noon Eastern. Encourage your student to submit a message of congratulations for friends in the Class of 2020 – or share well-wishes of your own!
• Has your student checked out the B-Well class calendar? There are several options such as boot camps, yoga, and stretching, and no advance sign up is required. Participants’ screens are muted upon entry, and they can choose whether to have their video on or off (most people choose off).

We wish you a healthy summer, wherever you might be.

Best wishes,

Emily Bray Levine
Director of Parent Giving and Engagement

As you know, Governor Mills has accelerated Maine’s vaccine roll-out, and individuals 16 years old and older are eligible to register now to receive a COVID-19 vaccine starting on April 7. Out-of-state students, including international students, who reside in Maine to attend college are eligible for a vaccine in Maine 

Please refer to this update for specifics on how ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ will assist in helping students obtain COVID-19 vaccination. 

The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ vaccine FAQ  is updated regularly and is also a valuable resource on this topic. 

Best regards,
The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Parent Team

Students have received an important update regarding the situation on campus. Please encourage them to read this information carefully so they understand the seriousness of the current spike in COVID-19 cases as well as the status of in-room restrictions.

We know this is a stressful time for your students. We know you, too, are concerned for their physical and mental well-being, and we hope these resources will help you support them:

• The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in-room restriction FAQ  is updated regularly and shares information on student support, after-hours health needs, and more. 
•  is offering an expanded daily schedule of activities to help students stay connected during in-room restriction.
• You can browse the overview of daily campus offerings and remind your student to sign up using their edition of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Today.

We will keep you updated promptly with further information as we move through this time together.

Best regards,
The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Parent Team

Students have received an update that includes information about additional campus activities, off-campus social gatherings, and Maine’s COVID-19 vaccination outlook. Please read the full update here. 

We hope the following information will also be helpful:

• If your student wishes to travel to their home state to receive a COVID vaccine, please remind them to reach out to Senior Associate Dean of Students Carl Steidel for an exemption to the public health agreement requiring students to remain in Maine through the end of the semester.
• We have received inquiries about drop-off dates for next fall. The college is waiting a little longer than usual to set arrival dates. As soon as the calendar is set, it will be posted to the college website and shared via email with families.
• We have also received questions about Back to ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ â€“ our family and alumni weekend – for Fall 2021. At the moment, this event is scheduled for October 1-3, 2021. However, we need to remain flexible, knowing that the date might shift. No decision has yet been made about whether this event will be virtual or in-person.

With the arrival of warmer weather here in Maine, we have enjoyed seeing so many of your students eating, studying, and socializing outside. We love their energy!

Best regards,

The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Parent Team

Students have just received an encouraging update about activities on campus. Please read the full update here. 

In addition, these resources may be helpful: 

• We have added an abbreviated ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Today feed to the parent website. Students can explore campus offerings through their own copy of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Today, delivered daily to their ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ email and complete with sign-up links and/or on-campus location details.
• As a follow up to our Feb. 18 family networking event, we’ve posted the video of the remarks made at the start of the evening by our guest from Campus Life. Please contact us at parents@bates.edu for the password.
• Check out this month’s slideshow of campus photos, and make sure you’re following  on Instagram for your daily dose of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½.

With more safe options available and warmer weather on the way, we look forward to even more energy on campus. 

Best regards,

The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Parent Team

As we head into the weekend, students have received an important update about the transmission of COVID-19 on campus – and a request for help as we all stay focused on safe behaviors. 

The college has already found itself in the unfortunate position of having to send a number of students home and switch them to remote learning because they did not adhere to the public health policies that are necessary to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 on campus. With this in mind, we would be grateful if you could once again speak with your student about the importance of making good decisions to protect the health and wellbeing of members of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ community.

On a lighter note, this weekend also brings the launch of late night pick-up or delivery at the Den on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. And in the coming days, the student-run activities committee  is sponsoring an array of virtual and in-person activities from Feb. 28 to March 7 for Winter Carnival. It is encouraging to see these activities underway.

We thank you for your ongoing support of your students, and we are so appreciative of their vigilance, flexibility, and commitment to the community.

Best regards,

The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Parent Team

Following the start of the semester last week, students have received an update regarding dining and additional outdoor furniture. Students are working hard to keep themselves and the campus community healthy, and we thank you for supporting them in these efforts. 

As the semester gets underway, we share these updates on the student experience:

• Maine state guidelines still limit indoor gatherings to 50 people, and our Dining team is working to offer more options within those constraints. Today is the debut of Meet Me at the Mezz, a first-come, first-served reservation option for in-person dining.
• Campus Life has launched First–Year Fridays, a new weekly series to help first-year students build connections.
• With arrival quarantine over, students are able to access more common spaces on campus to study or meet. 

Thank you for your ongoing engagement with ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. We continue to build our virtual event calendar and hope to see many of you online this spring.

Best regards,

The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Parent Team

On-campus students have received reminders on continuing arrival quarantine. You can read that update here. If you have not already done so, we encourage you to speak with your student about the importance of following campus health protocols to protect themselves and the campus community. We appreciate their hard work!

Virtual events for all students are planned throughout arrival quarantine. Encourage your student to check ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Today and ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Engage.

If your student is feeling sad, anxious, or depressed as they navigate the next few days – or at any time during the semester – please have them reach out to Counseling & Psychological Services at 207-786-6200 or CAPS@bates.edu

We are grateful for all you are doing to support your students as we begin winter semester.

Best regards,

The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Parent Team