Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Boston University's Class of 2020 will have a chance to be celebrated with an in-person graduation.
The university announced on Thursday that it would postpone its 147th Commencement and related events from May 15-17 to late August or early fall.
“I made the postponement decision with a heavy heart, but I am also mindful of the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic and our public safety obligations,” BU President Robert A. Brown wrote in a letter to graduates and their families.
Boston University was among the city's colleges who decided to move online from March 20 through the rest of the spring semester and to have students move out of residencies by March 22.
While some U.S. universities decided either to cancel or move the commencement online, Brown said in the letter that the online ceremony "is not seen as a fitting substitute for the in-person event that is shared with colleagues, family, and friends."
The university said that due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is "impossible" to be definitive for a date and will update students by May 1.