Auburn University at Montgomery to postpone commencement ceremony
As part of efforts to curtail campus activities to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Auburn University at Montgomery will postpone its Spring 2020 commencement ceremony until August.
“Of all the decisions that we’ve had to make during this difficult period, this one has been the most heartbreaking,” said AUM Chancellor Carl A. Stockton. “This spring semester should be about our graduates completing their degrees and celebrating years of hard work with professors, family, and friends. However, this change is necessary in light of public health guidance regarding the avoidance of large gatherings.”
Despite the delay in observing commencement, AUM’s spring Class of 2020 will earn their degrees in May and become AUM alumni. A formal celebration of their success will be observed on Saturday, August 15. AUM will share information about how graduates will receive their diplomas and a schedule for the August celebration at a later date.
In addition to delaying spring commencement, the university will institute the following changes:
- Provide all summer courses via remote delivery. Registration for summer courses begins this week. AUM will offer a Summer Incentive Scholarship Program for first-time AUM undergraduate and graduate students.
- Extend the deadline for students to drop a course with a “W” to Friday, April 24. Students have been encouraged to consult with their academic advisors to understand how withdrawal might affect academic progression.
- Offer a temporary expansion of pass/fail options. Once letter grades have been entered for Spring 2020 courses by the faculty, students will have the opportunity to request conversion of any passing grade to an “S” and any failing grade to a “U.” This temporary change will not impact how faculty members assign grades in their classes, but it will offer students the option to request a possible change after reviewing their final grades. S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) grades are not included in grade point average determinations and do not impact students’ GPA for “Satisfactory Academic Progress,” an important measure for continued financial aid.
“We delayed the decision about commencement as long as possible in the hopes that the COVID-19 pandemic would show signs of subsiding and that we would be able to gather for our university’s most special occasion at our usual time,” Stockton said. “We felt, however, meeting the immense challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic required adjustments to be made.”
