Princeton University To Host Virtual Graduation Ceremonies

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton University will be hosting a virtual graduation ceremony in May for the undergraduate Class of 2020 in light of the new coronavirus outbreak. The traditional on-campus ceremony will be postponed to spring of 2021, University President Christopher L. Eisgruber wrote in a letter Wednesday.

"Your class has achieved as much as any in memory, and you have sacrificed considerably more than any that I can recall. Each and every senior on this campus lost precious opportunities and long-anticipated moments when this awful pandemic forced Princeton’s spring semester online. I wish that we could give those special experiences back to all of you; I regret very much that we cannot," wrote Eisgruber.

For the first time the University will host the upcoming spring graduation ceremony virtually on May 31. The on-campus ceremony will be held in the days just before Reunions 2021, on either May 19, 2021, or May 20, 2021.

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"I know that all of you are probably feeling Zoomed-out already, and a virtual ceremony is no substitute for the in-person ceremony you earned and deserve — which is why we want you back here in May 2021! But I hope you and your families will participate in the virtual ceremony. You have a right to be tremendously proud of the degree that you’ve earned, and we want to mark the occasion with you, and with family members or others who supported you on your Princeton journey, in June," wrote Eisgruber.

Eisgruber also shared current plans for other year-end ceremonies traditionally held on campus in the spring:

• There will be no Baccalaureate service this spring.
• Options for possible Class Day events for the Class of 2020 are being explored by University administrators in partnership with the senior class.
• A date for a virtual Hooding Ceremony for graduate students and their families is still being determined. Students earning graduate degrees this year are also invited to participate in the on-campus Hooding Ceremony on May 24, 2021.
• A virtual ROTC Commissioning Ceremony will be held on a date to be determined.

As of Wednesday Princeton University reported 108 students have been tested for COVID-19. Of those, 20 students tested were on-campus and 88 were elsewhere. Of the 20 on-campus students three students tested positive. Of the 88 off-campus students, 42 students tested positive and are receiving appropriate treatment.

Additionally, 65 University employees have been tested for COVID-19. Of those 22 have tested positive.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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