July 17, 2020

First, the pandemic canceled the May 9 commencement. Then MacMurray received notice to expect shipping delays from its national supplier of diplomas.

MacMurray diplomas are mailed four to six weeks following graduation, arriving in mid to late June. It’s become standard procedure at most universities – including MacMurray – for graduates walking across the stage at a ceremony to be handed a placeholder document or booklet. This also allows additional time to calculate and recheck final grades, GPAs, mentions, as well as financial account reconcilements.

In 2020, MacMurray’s supplier had to shut down during the initial months of the pandemic, creating a backlog. Unfortunately, once they caught up, they shipped MacMurray’s diplomas to another university in another state. It required a few extra weeks for the diplomas to be returned, then shipped correctly to MacMurray. MacMurray’s remaining staff of seven employees then channeled efforts to getting the diplomas in the mail on July 14 to graduates.

MacMurray College President Beverly Rodgers expressed her regret over the delay. “We hope each graduate gets to enjoy the moment and celebrate with those who helped them reach this educational goal.”