Press Releases

“This unique event is deserving of unique legal treatment,” said Robert Norton, Vice President and General Counsel for Hillsdale College. “It is consistent with the governor’s executive orders providing that you can have these outdoor First Amendment expressive events subject to CDC guidelines. The governor took part in one herself (which did not comply with CDC guidelines), and afterwards, her spokesperson said that was an appropriate thing for the governor to do because it had been an expressive First Amendment event. We agree.”

“Hillsdale College has vigorously planned for many months how to hold its annual Commencement and has taken all practical precautions to ensure a safe event,” said Rich Péwé, Chief Administrative Officer at Hillsdale College. “We are especially grateful to the health experts who have consulted with us throughout our preparations.”

Hillsdale College’s Commencement is an “expressive activity” protected by the First Amendment. It is a ceremony rich with symbolism and meaning. Since 1856, the College has exercised those rights by holding annual commencement exercises–including during the Civil War, World War I, the 1918 Pandemic, the Great Depression, and World War II. Despite the trauma of those times, which have been particularly severe on this campus, Hillsdale College has stood by the ceremony as the culminating meaning of the work of the College and as indispensable to its mission.

Ceremonies scheduled for July 18 Download Press Release Hillsdale, Mich. — Hillsdale College will host its Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, July 18. Originally planned for May 9, the events were […]

The scholarship is currently part of a matching gift opportunity. From July 15 to 31, all money donated toward the scholarship will be doubled and invested into an endowment that will benefit students in radio journalism, with preference given to students from Michigan.

Dr. Kathleen O’Toole, assistant provost for K-12 education at Hillsdale College and a 2002 graduate of Hillsdale Academy, gave the commencement address. She exhorted the graduates to use the intellectual and moral virtue gained through their studies at Hillsdale Academy to defend civilization.

“The men and women on Hillsdale’s Board of Trustees are driven by the noble mission that has animated the College for more than 175 years,” said Rich Péwé, Chief Administrative Officer at Hillsdale College. “Kurt, Mark, and Alice bring impressive experience, strong leadership, and an enthusiasm for the kind of education Hillsdale offers. I’m grateful for their willingness to serve and look forward to working with them on Hillsdale’s board.”

“A great teacher is a person of deep learning, an engaging speaker, and perceptive in working with students,”
said Kathleen O’Toole, assistant provost for K-12 education at Hillsdale College. “Through this new program,
we will honor the very best teachers, and give them an opportunity to teach others about classical education.”

The Halter Center, located five miles from the Hillsdale College campus, reopened to the public on June 4. New
safety and sanitation practices include contactless check-in and payment, frequent cleaning of restrooms and
high-traffic areas, expanded outdoor seating, and one guest per party at a time in the AcuSport Lodge. Shooting
stations are already spaced at least six feet apart.

“Order and liberty are not permanent, and civilization rests on the virtue of American citizens,” said O’Toole in
her address. “You have studied the moral and intellectual virtues, and learned that virtue at its peak involves
civic virtue. As you go forward, draw on the education you have received, and defend civilization itself.”