The University of Colorado Boulder canceled its graduation ceremony May 7 and all in-person commencement ceremonies for specific departments and schools because of the highly contagious coronavirus.
“You are likely aware of the unprecedented federal and state government restrictions on large public gatherings announced this week,” Chancellor Phil DiStefano said in a statement. “With this in mind, and given the early date of our ceremonies this year and the uncertainty of travel restrictions for the families of our large populations of out-of-state and international students, we have decided to announce the cancellation today. Most importantly, we want to do everything we can to ensure that all of our students, faculty, staff and their families remain safe and healthy.”
DiStefano said the university is exploring virtual options.
All students eligible should still apply to graduate through the no later than April 30.
On Monday, the Boulder campus encouraged students living on campus who were able to go home to do so. Last week, the campus announced a move to remote learning, among a flurry of other academic institutions in the face of a global pandemic.
