California State University, Northridge, officials announced Friday the commencement ceremony for the class of 2019-20 would be postponed a second time due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
CSUN President Dianne Harrison sent an email to the CSUN community stating the plan to hold a commencement ceremony for the class of 2019-20 would be postponed to May 2021, and will be a virtual ceremony for both the class of 2020 and the class of 2021.
“I deeply regret that, in spite of our best efforts and intentions and after consultation with student, academic and administrative leadership, current circumstances have led us to the decision to plan for virtual commencement ceremonies for the classes of both 2020 and 2021,” Harrison said in the email. “These ceremonies will take place in May 2021.”
Harrison announced in March the commencement ceremony would be postponed until December 2020 in hopes the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health would allow large gatherings after the pandemic subsides.
After the announcement of virtual classes extending to the spring 2021 semester for all California State University campuses, Harrison said the best option was to offer virtual ceremonies for the classes of 2020 and 2021.
“Earlier this year it was determined that all 23 California State University campuses will offer primarily virtual instruction with minimum access to campuses through spring 2021. That decision, in addition to (Public Health) prohibitions against large public gatherings, means that in-person commencement ceremonies are not currently authorized,” Harrison said in the email.
Information about the virtual ceremonies will be announced to graduates as it becomes available, and will be posted to the CSUN commencement website at https://www.csun.edu/commencement.
