MACOMB, Ill. (NEWS3) — After the coronavirus pandemic forced a cancellation of in-person events for the spring, Western Illinois University is now set to host a virtual commencement for students.
WIU officials announced Tuesday a virtual graduation ceremony will take place May 9 on WIU’s Facebook page and YouTube channel at 10 a.m.
More than 1,800 students are expected to receive their diploma. That includes 1,408 undergraduate students and among those are 94 students from the Bachelor of Arts in General Studies degree program, 454 master’s-level graduate students and nine students are earning their doctorates in educational leadership.
This announcement comes more than a month after WIU canceled in-person classes and moved online for the rest of the spring semester in mid-March amid concerns surrounding the coronavirus outbreak. The school then canceled its spring commencement ceremonies due to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding COVID-19.
WIU officials said discussions are underway to possibly host an in-person commencement ceremony in the fall to recognize the spring 2020 graduates.
