Willie Banks, UCI Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, announced that the Commencement would be canceled in a town hall meeting on March 13.
Banks said in an email that students should not make arrangements for family members to come to the campus for graduation due to safety precautions formulated for COVID-19.
“We are actively looking at alternatives to celebrate our graduates in an appropriate manner. We understand that commencement is an important part of the UCI experience and we want to honor our students while still keeping our community safe,” Banks said.
According to Banks, UCI is looking for alternative options to “celebrate” the graduating class. The students should expect a follow-up email with more details about commencement.
“All day, I’ve been saying it feels like my last quarter at UCI was abruptly ended. As a performing arts major, it affects me completely differently from even normal students. I’ve been waking up for my whole life to be able to walk the stage and I can’t even do that,” Sarah Llewellyn, a senior student, said. “This news derailed everything in my life. Instead of having time to work out life after graduation, I have to figure everything out two months earlier. I don’t even know what to do next.”
In regards to student housing, Banks said that students could cancel their lease without penalty if they decided to leave the campus for spring quarter. Students have until March 18 to inform UCI if they will stay or cancel their leases.
Sydney Charles is a 2019-2020 Campus News Co-Editor. She can be reached at campusnews@newuniversity.org.