The University of New Orleans announced that it will not hold spring commencement as previously scheduled on May 15, 2020 due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. President John Nicklow said he made the difficult decision because the safety of the campus community continues to be his top priority.

“It is my intention to celebrate our graduates and their families at a later date when it is once again safe for people to gather in large groups,” Nicklow said. “I share the profound disappointment of this development with our graduating seniors. I treasure each and every commencement, as it celebrates our graduates, ushers in the next phase of their lives and recognizes the people who helped them get there. This postponement in no way diminishes the impressiveness of their accomplishments and the pride we feel for their achievements. It is simply the only responsible choice in the current circumstances. We hope the decision, painful as it might be, will also give our graduates and their families some rare certainty in these uncertain times.”

Earlier this week, the University pivoted from face-to-face classes to remote instruction, which will continue for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester. An archive of UNO’s previous communications related to COVID-19 is available here.