Ohio State University (OSU) announced Tuesday it has postponed its spring commencement ceremony amid coronavirus concerns.
“Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that no large events be scheduled over the next eight weeks, we have postponed our spring commencement,” Michael Drake, the president of the school said.
Drake said OSU’s preference is to reschedule the event later on in the spring, but a new date hasn’t been chosen.
“Commencement is one of our most cherished traditions, and we remain fully committed to celebrating our graduates at an appropriate time,” he added. “We sincerely appreciate your continued support and understanding.”
OSU will continue to evaluate this situation and give more information on graduation later in the month, according to Drake.
Besides delaying spring commencement, OSU said on Sunday it will be prorating student’s housing and dining funds as students must leave campus by March 22.
This decision comes after someone created a petition asking OSU to refund student’s housing and dining fees. Over 30,000 people have signed this petition to date.
The school announced last week it would suspend in-person classes until March 30.
“Because the last date of in-person instruction was March 6th, 2020, and because many students will be completing programs online that are not officially offered as online programs by the University, the students of The Ohio State University hereby request the University to refund all students the difference between the costs of in-person instruction and online instruction,” the petition states.
“Furthermore, because students residing in University dormitories will not be permitted to reside in those dormitories for the entirety of the semester, the students of The Ohio State University hereby request the University to refund those students who paid the full cost of university housing for the spring 2020 term.”
As schools suspend in-person classes and go online, students across the country are also wondering about their tuition expenses. For example, students at Stony Brook University protested after the school closed its campus.
Students gathered last week to share displeasure about the lack of communication from the school and ask for a refund.
Some colleges, Harvard, Smith, Tufts and Duke University, said it will prorate students’ for their unused room and board expenditures, according to MarketWatch.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Star News Digital Media. If you have any tips, email Zachery at [email protected].
Photo “Ohio State University Graduation Commencement” by Ohio State University.
