IUP cancels in-person commencement for May, August grads, moves to virtual platform

Indiana University of Pennsylvania announced Friday that an in-person commencement for the class of 2020 has been canceled and replaced with a virtual ceremony.

The school had planned an in-person ceremony on Sept. 12 to honor May and August graduates.

Citing more restrictive guidelines for indoor gatherings and increased concern regarding covid-19, IUP officials nixed the in-person commencement, as well as on-campus departmental ceremonies scheduled for September.

Graduates will instead have a virtual ceremony, which IUP President Michael Driscoll said “will include many aspects of the traditional on-campus ceremony.” The virtual ceremony will be posted on IUP’s website on Sept. 12 at 9 a.m.

Graduates are encouraged to submit photos of themselves to be shown as their names are read.

IUP will send each graduate a printed program and diploma cover.

In a message sent to the graduates, Driscoll said, “While this is not the commencement that anyone would have imagined prior to March, it is still a time to celebrate your achievements with your Crimson Hawks family and to reflect on your hard work. I join your professors, staff members, family and peers in recognizing your achievements.”

Driscoll said the university would “continue to think of how we might honor the class of 2020 in the future.”