St. Thomas will not hold its commencement ceremonies on the originally scheduled May dates because of the COVID-19 pandemic, University President Julie Sullivan wrote in an email Wednesday.

This includes the ceremonies for undergraduates, graduate students, the School of Law and the `Dougherty Family college.

“We of course were hoping to avoid this outcome, but the simple fact is that our community, nation and society remain in an uncertain situation with the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sullivan wrote.

Minnesota state officials reported nearly 700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and a total of 17 deaths as of Wednesday.

St. Thomas moved classes online for the remainder of the spring semester on March 16.

Senior Dylan Barrett said he was not surprised by the university’s decision to postpone graduation.

“We all saw this coming,” he said. “We’ve worked too hard to let our experience be ruined by [postponing] this one day.”

Students, faculty and administrators are discussing alternative ways to celebrate this year’s graduates, including the possibility of holding in-person ceremonies at a later date.

“We will do everything in our power to make sure our graduates receive the recognition they so richly deserve after years of hard work,” Sullivan wrote.

Additional updates will follow when they are available.

Emily Haugen, Carly Noble and Jack Stanek contributed to this report.