As COVID-19 continues to makes its way through the weeks of future events, both University of Illinois and Parkland College have announced their respective spring commencement ceremonies will not take place as originally scheduled.
University of Illinois issued a statement wherein they cancelled the spring commencement, scheduled for May 16th, though they state they are looking into alternatives for this ceremony or rescheduling it:
We are very disappointed to share the news that commencement ceremonies will not take place as scheduled in May at our universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Diplomas will be mailed, and we are exploring possible alternatives such as rescheduling and/or hosting virtual events to honor the Class of 2020. You will hear more from leadership of your universities in the days and weeks to come.
Parkland has suspendend their ceremony as well, scheduled for May 14th. They will work to find alternatives as well:
Every year, Parkland’s end-of-the-year Commencement and Honors Convocation ceremonies are the premier showcase of the innumerable achievements of our students, the incredible teaching of our faculty, and the far-reaching impact of Parkland College on our community. It is our proudest and most revered day of the year. So, it is with great sadness that I write to you today to inform you that Parkland has made the determination to suspend our 2020 Commencement and Honors Convocation ceremonies, scheduled for May 14, 2020.
As you know, Parkland College has been at the forefront of working to promote the health and safety of its students, faculty, staff, and the greater District 505 community. With the uncertainty and difficulty that the COVID-19 reality is presenting, we cannot responsibly conduct these ceremonies this year as scheduled in May. That does not mean that we are any less proud of our students, our faculty and staff, or our community. We will work diligently in the coming weeks to find alternative and safe ways to showcase our students and their accomplishments. These alternatives may include a ceremony later in the year once it would be safe to conduct one. If you have any questions or comments regarding commencement, please reach out to stulife@parkland.edu and they will help you regarding these ceremonies.
Top photo of U of I students (left) from their Facebook page, Parkland graduation (right) from their Twitter