Ohio University announced Wednesday that all Spring Semester commencement ceremonies will be postponed until it is safe for large groups to gather again under recommendations for containing the coronavirus.
The decision will impact ceremonies that were scheduled to take place on May 1 and 2, and all regional campus celebrations, according to an OU news release.
The postponement was made based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which state that gatherings of over 50 people should not take place for about eight weeks. Input was also given by Student Senate President Lydia Ramlo, student trustees and thousands of students.
“I greatly look forward to the day when we come back together again for what I expect will be an incredibly memorable and moving Commencement event as we celebrate not only your success at OHIO but also our collective journey through this unprecedented time,” President Duane Nellis said in the release.
Planning for new commencement dates will begin once OU deems it is safe for the community to come together again. Graduates and the university as a whole will be informed when those plans move forward, according to the release.
The university is also planning ways to celebrate graduates before the end of the semester and more details will be released soon.
