SC State cancels live graduation, will hold ceremony online due to coronavirus
South Carolina State University is the latest Palmetto State school to change its graduation plans during the coronavirus pandemic.
Following the University of South Carolina and Clemson, S.C. State has scrapped plans for a traditional graduation in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, choosing instead to hold an online commencement ceremony.
“Because we do not know if the country will conquer COVID-19 by July, August or even later, it is not wise for us to give students a date for when the next physical graduation will be held,” said Dr. Learie Luke, S.C. State provost and academic officer, in a news release on Saturday announcing the change of plans. “As it stands today, we are still under the governor’s executive order of no assembly larger than three people.”
A date has not been set yet for the virtual graduation event to honor this year’s recipients of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. All classes at S.C. State — which is based in Orangeburg and has roughly 3,000 enrolled students — are already being held online for the rest of this semester.
University officials said they expect upcoming graduates to be disappointed by the announcement.
“We understand that a graduation ceremony is more than just important to our seniors and their families. It’s an event that is looked forward to and cherished,” Student Government Association President Julie Sainyo said in the news release. “We have worked hard and the university is without a doubt aware of that. We will have our time to walk across the stage and claim our victory.”
In the meantime, university officials said they hoped the event will be memorable for graduates and their families, and planning for the online festivities are already underway.
Since testing began in early March, 37 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in Orangeburg County, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
USC has responded to the crisis scrapping its usual May graduation at Colonial Life Arena, tentatively rescheduling commencement exercises for Aug. 7 and 8.
Clemson also postponed its May commencement ceremonies, according to officials at the Upstate university. It has not yet picked a new date.
“Commencement is a highlight of each academic year and postponing ceremonies this spring is heartbreaking,” Clemson officials said. “Unfortunately, this public health emergency left us no other responsible choice.”
College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina and USC Upstate have all postponed their commencement ceremonies as well but not announced rescheduled dates. The Citadel has said it will hold a virtual ceremony in May.
On Saturday, 144 new cases of the coronavirus were reported in South Carolina, bringing the statewide total to 3,207 confirmed COVID-19 cases in all 46 counties, according to DHEC.
DHEC also announced that eight more people died after testing positive for the coronavirus, raising that total to 80. State health officials described 71 of the people as elderly, nine patients were middle-aged, and all but five had underlying medical conditions.
“There is currently no cure or vaccine,” the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said.
Symptoms of coronavirus can include a fever, coughing, and difficulty breathing, according to the CDC. Among the emergency warning signs of COVID-19 is trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest and blueish lips or face, the CDC said.
DHEC is encouraging people to practice social distancing to help stop the spread of the virus. Social distancing means refraining from unnecessary interactions and staying away from large groups of people; it also calls for remaining at home unless it is absolutely necessary to go out.
The best way to prevent infection is to frequently wash hands for 20 seconds; avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth; avoid contact with sick people and clean frequently touched objects with a cleaning spray or wipe, according to the CDC. DHEC also recommends covering your cough, staying home when sick, and disposing tissues and other items that you’ve sneezed or coughed into.
As of Sunday morning, 1,789,985 people worldwide have been diagnosed with coronavirus and 109,823 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Johns Hopkins also reports the United States leads the world with 530,006 people who have been diagnosed with the novel virus. In the U.S. 20,608 deaths have been reported, including 6,367 in New York City.
This story was originally published April 12, 2020 at 2:41 PM.
