Despite the coronavirus outbreak, the class of 2020 at FDU will still receive its diplomas on time May 18. 

In an email blast on Wednesday, March 25, the president’s office announced its new plan to postpone FDU’s 2020 graduation ceremony.

“All students will receive their diplomas on time and we are considering alternative ways that we can celebrate together and recognize the amazing achievements of our graduates,” President Christopher Capuano said.

Diplomas are always mailed to students after the graduation ceremony has taken place. Students will still be receiving their diplomas by mail regardless of how commencement is held. 

President Capuano said the university is still considering a virtual ceremony for May 18.

However, he now says there are plans for a full in-person ceremony at a later date, as circumstances permit. 

“If we can have an in-person ceremony soon after the originally scheduled date, then perhaps we will not need to confer degrees virtually on May 18. However, if we are not able to schedule something soon after May 18, then we will consider other dates in 2020, and certainly, we also have the option of inviting all 2020 graduates to join next year’s commencement ceremony in May 2021 if necessary,” Capuano said.

While FDU says the school is committed to “conferring the degrees in a formal manner and presenting diplomas in a timely manner,” members of the class of 2020 have voiced their frustrations over a virtual commencement.

What the university is trying to avoid is having months go by without conferring degrees, “thus the desire to have a virtual ceremony to do that formal part, and then a live ceremony when circumstances permit,” Angelo Carfagna, an FDU spokesperson, said in an email to The Equinox.

In a previous report from The Equinox, senior Lorernzo Martinez expressed his disappointment with how his academic career will end. 

“It’s disheartening to know that the class of 2020 is not getting what they’ve worked so hard for,” he said. “Many struggled to just be here at FDU so that they would have the opportunity to walk on that stage and have that feeling of satisfaction, a feeling that can be experienced no other way.”