TCU hoped to postpone commencement ceremonies to August. Now they’re canceled.
TCU has canceled its commencement ceremonies for spring 2020 and August 2020 graduates, the school announced Monday.
The university postponed spring commencement ceremonies from May 9 to Aug. 8 during the early part of the coronavirus pandemic, but has been forced to cancel amid the surge of positive cases across the country.
TCU’s latest COVID-19 positive case count was 27, released Monday afternoon. Of those 27 (21 students, six employees), only eight are deemed to have direct on-campus impact (the individual was on the TCU campus within two days of symptom onset or receiving a positive test).
“We have spent the last three months planning, reimagining and doing everything in our power to create a safe event for our graduates and families to celebrate your incredible achievements,” TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. said in a video message. “We created a plan that followed all CDC, state and local guidelines. But, after meeting with public health department officials, we realized that the event, no matter how well planned, poses too much risk for our graduates, their families, friends and our campus community.”
TCU also canceled its “Senior Toast,” which had been scheduled for Aug. 7.
The ceremonies were expected to take place at Schollmaier Arena with 50% capacity.
TCU said it will not have a virtual commencement ceremony and there is no makeup date scheduled. The school said on its website: “We hope to celebrate in-person together and welcome all our graduates and their families back to campus in the near future.”
“We hoped the surge would decrease and give us more assurance, but it is our obligation and responsibility to make this decision now to enable families to plan ahead and also, unfortunately, rearrange their plans,” Boschini said.
This falls in line with other measures TCU has taken such as letting faculty and students decide whether to conduct and take classes in-person or in a virtual setting, and canceling family weekend and homecoming activities. Homecoming had been set for the weekend of Oct. 17 when the football team hosts Kansas State.
As of now, TCU athletic director Jeremiah Donati said, the football season remains set for the fall with the home opener Sept. 12 against Prairie View A&M.
But, Donati said, the next three to four weeks are critical in determining whether football will be played in the fall.
TCU is scheduled to start its fall semester on Aug. 17 with classes ending before the Thanksgiving holiday to reduce travel. The December 2020 commencement has also been moved to May 20.
This story was originally published July 6, 2020 at 1:32 PM.
