UP is moving its graduation ceremony online due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement came on Friday afternoon from University President Fr. Mark Poorman in an email to all students, faculty, staff and parents. The ceremony was originally to take place in the Chiles Center on May 3.
“The Office of the Provost is developing plans for an online Commencement and will communicate those plans as they are developed,” Poorman’s email said. “Traditional Commencement Weekend activities such as the ROTC Commissioning, Nurses’ Pinning, and Baccalaureate Mass will either be canceled or held in a virtual format.”
Poorman also announced that all classes will remain online for the remainder of the spring semester. The Office of the Provost plans to provide more details in the near future, Poorman said.
Students still living in residence halls will be allowed to stay on campus until the end of the spring semester. Poorman’s email said the Office of Residence Life will contact students with more information about moving out and retrieving their belongings.
UP joins dozens of other colleges and universities that have cancelled or postponed in-person graduation ceremonies.
On March 16, Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued an executive order banning all gatherings of more than 25 people for at least four weeks because of the pandemic.
As of Friday morning, Oregon had 114 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
Havi Stewart is a reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at stewarth22@up.edu.
Seniors: The Beacon wants to hear from you. The Beacon has created a Facebook group exclusively for current UP students to share thoughts, concerns, experiences and more while they adjust to remote learning and rapidly changing situations.
