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Florida Tech will not allow guests at graduation due to coronavirus concerns

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Updated  March 10, 2020 11:07pm EDT
Education
FOX 35 Orlando

Florida Tech closes graduation to families

At least one Central Florida university is changing its graduation ceremony plans due to concerns over the coronavirus. Florida Tech University is moving to a smaller venue and closing its ceremony to only allow graduates to attend.

MELBOURNE, Fla. - A major change to graduation ceremonies at Florida Tech amid coronavirus fears.

The university sending out the following email Tuesday:

“We continue to carefully monitor the coronavirus situation and take steps to preserve the health and safety of students, faculty, staff and their families. Keeping that in mind, understanding the challenges of international travel in the current climate, and out of an abundance of caution, we are reconfiguring Spring Commencement exercises scheduled for Saturday, May 9: We are canceling the Clemente Center ticketed ceremonies in favor of graduates-only ceremonies in the Gleason Performing Arts Center. These smaller ceremonies will be webcast live, video-recorded and photographed, but will not be open to guests.”

The Melbourne campus is home to students from more than 100 different countries.

School officials say they want to get the word out now so family and friends of the graduates can adjust travel.

Florida Tech says it’s also suspending all international business travel for faculty and staff until the end of the spring semester.