UNC's Spring Commencement will be postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz announced in a campus-wide email Friday.
This includes the doctoral hooding ceremony on May 9 and the Kenan Stadium graduation on May 10, he said in the email.
Guskiewicz said there are still plans to celebrate the accomplishments of students, and that input from the class of 2020 will be taken into account through a survey.
"Already, you have experienced so many changes to your final semester: the cancellation of events, the shift to remote instruction and the loss of your last weeks on campus with your friends," he said in the email. "However, protecting the health, safety and well-being of our campus community, the region, our state and the nation is our first priority."
The UNC System Board of Governors met in special session by conference call Friday morning and focused on the response of system schools to COVID-19.
The pandemic has caused institutions to postpone or cancel large events for the remainder of the semester. Interim President Bill Roper addressed spring commencement during the meeting.
“We believe that graduation ceremonies will be disrupted and it’s time to make alternative plans,” Roper said. “I know and understand this will disappoint our students and their families who have worked so hard toward this goal for so many years, but the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff must be our top priority."
