Students walk into the 2019 commencement ceremony at Ohio Stadium. Credit: Amal Saeed | Photo Editor
Ohio State’s spring commencement ceremony has been postponed without a new date due to COVID-19, University President Michael V. Drake announced in a universitywide email Tuesday.
Although the university prefers to reschedule commencement — which usually takes place in Ohio Stadium and hosted 12,213 graduates in spring 2019 — Drake said it would be “premature” to selected a new date yet. The postponement is in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that no large events be held over the next eight weeks, according to the email.
Commencement was originally scheduled for May 3.
“Commencement is one of our most cherished traditions, and we remain fully committed to celebrating our graduates at an appropriate time,” Drake said.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, there are 50 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ohio with 14 hospitalizations across 12 counties. There are 333 people currently under health supervision in the state.
According to Johns Hopkins University, there are 185, 067 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide.
The University of Michigan canceled its May 2 and 3 commencement events due to COVID-19, according to the university’s website. It is currently evaluating other dates to celebrate the class of 2020.
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