The unexpected summer outbreak of COVID-19 and additional orders by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards to curb the spread of the virus, led the University of Louisiana Monroe to postpone the Spring/Summer 2020 Commencement Ceremony set for Aug. 8, 2020.
“When commencement was rescheduled for August, everyone believed we would be in a better place with COVID-19. Unfortunately, that is not the case,” said ULM Interim President Edwin Litolff, Ph.D.
“After careful consideration of the state’s new orders mandating masks and limiting gatherings until at least July 24, it is in the best interest of the graduates, their friends and families, and ULM faculty and staff to postpone commencement,” Litolff announced on Tuesday, July 14, 2020.
Commencement was originally scheduled for May 16 but postponed in March when campus was closed to the public because of COVID-19. A new date will be announced by ULM when plans are finalized.
The Spring 2020 class was the largest in the university’s 89-year history, with 1,023 students earning 1,027 degrees.
The class was honored on May 16 with a Virtual Recognition Ceremony featuring comments from recently retired President Nick J. Bruno, Ph.D., UL System President Jim Henderson, Ph.D., and celebrity alumni such as Philadelphia Eagles Coach Doug Pederson and Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson. The names of all graduates were scrolled during the ceremony.
The state and nation are experiencing a critical rise in COVID-19 cases. At a Saturday press conference, Gov. Edwards announced a statewide mask mandate, ordered bars closed and set a 50-person limit on indoor and outdoor gatherings. The state’s “COVID-19 public health emergency additional phase 2 mitigation measures” went into effect Monday, July 14.