Atlanta’s historically black colleges and universities, like schools across the nation, are changing commencement ceremony plans.

Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College said late Tuesday they are moving their commencement ceremonies from May to December. Spelman College sent a message Wednesday afternoon that it will have an in-person ceremony at a later date.

The changes are being made as federal and state officials have urged schools, businesses and other organizations to limit large crowd gatherings to control the spread of the coronavirus. The University System of Georgia has advised its 26 public institutions to scrap its prior commencement plans.

Clark Atlanta, Morehouse and Spelman, combined, have about 9,000 students. They are part of the Atlanta University Center Consortium, the largest collection of historically black colleges in the nation.

Morehouse School of Medicine said in a statement Wednesday it has not made a decision concerning commencement, scheduled for May 16, but officials “are carefully assessing potential challenges and opportunities for this year’s celebration.”

About the Author

Keep Reading

KSU said Monday a reported gas leak in the H building caused service outages impacting the Marietta campus. (AJC FIle)

Featured

Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo