San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec




San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

SDSU postpones May commencement until December, plans virtual celebration

group of graduates holding diploma
File Photo

San Diego State announced Friday it would postpone spring 2020 commencement ceremonies until December due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to a March 20 campus-wide email.

The postponed ceremonies, originally scheduled for May, will instead be held Dec. 17 to 20 for SDSU and Imperial Valley Campus graduates.

“Our students deserve the chance to celebrate this momentous achievement with their families and friends, which is why we are not canceling the commencement ceremonies; we will postpone them,” the email said.

Instead of a traditional commencement weekend, the university said it would host a virtual celebration on May 16.

The university also said the postponement of commencement will not impact the timing of degree completion for May or August graduates, and issued diplomas will reflect the proper timing of each student’s actual graduation date.

Fall 2020 graduates have the option to participate in the rescheduled December commencement ceremony or in the May 2021 event, a university spokesperson confirmed.

The school anticipates graduates will receive their degrees six to eight weeks after the end of the semester.

This is a breaking news story. We will continue to update as more information becomes available.

About the Contributor
Michael Cline, Assistant News Editor
Michael Cline is a second-year graduate student in the Rhetoric and Writing Studies Department. He graduated from San Diego State in 2017 with a degree in political science. He hopes to work in public media after graduation.
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San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
SDSU postpones May commencement until December, plans virtual celebration