Syracuse University’s 2020 Commencement will take place in the Carrier Dome in the fall once the stadium’s roof is replaced and health officials say large gatherings are safe, Chancellor Kent Syverud said Monday.

Syverud announced March 23 that this year’s Commencement celebrations will not be held in May as an on-campus, in-person event, but said he’s committed to celebrating the Class of 2020 in a meaningful way. The university provided graduating students a survey March 29 to select alternative celebrations. 

Students “overwhelmingly” chose to have a ceremony take place in the Dome come fall, Syverud said in a campus-wide email. The Dome, where Commencement is usually held, is currently undergoing a $118 million renovation project.

“Commencement is a milestone moment,” Syverud said. “That is why I promised our 2020 graduates they would have a Commencement and would have an opportunity to influence the shape of this important event.”

Students will receive specific information about how degrees will be conferred on April 13, and SU will formally confer approved degrees on May 10, Syverud said. More information about the fall Commencement ceremony will likely be available by June 1, he said.

The decision to cancel this year’s Commencement celebrations came after the university announced March 16 that it’s moving classes online for the rest of the semester due to the coronavirus. Coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected at least 138,876 people in New York state and killed 5,489.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended March 16 that public gatherings of 50 people or more be canceled for eight weeks to curb the spread of the virus. New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo has temporarily banned large gatherings of any size. Thousands of SU students and family members attend Commencement every year.

“I appreciate the tremendous patience, understanding and flexibility our graduating students have demonstrated throughout this challenging time,” Syverud said. “And I look forward to marking your graduation with the ceremony and celebration that you deserve.”