The Visionary Class of 2020 will not be returning to campus in October for commencement.
The announcement was made by Provost Timothy Wooster via email on Sept. 1. In the email, Wooster stated that Asbury will no longer be holding an in-person commencement on Oct. 17 as was planned.
Commencement was moved from May to October at the conclusion of the spring semester due to coronavirus.
“At the time, we were hopeful that COVID-19 cases would have decreased enough to provide renewed confidence regarding the safety and health of everyone returning to campus in October for an in-person event,” said Wooster.
However, after much deliberation, the university decided that it would not be safe to host such an event.
“Unfortunately, that is not our reality as we enter this fall,” said Wooster. “For these reasons, we feel that we cannot safely and responsibly hold an in-person commencement this October and will be moving to an online video modality for this ceremony.”
Although there will no longer be a physical, on campus celebration, Asbury will be holding a virtual event on Oct. 17.
Much of the details of this event are still uncertain, but according to the university’s website Asbury will continue to keep students informed through the commencement FAQ page and through email.