Syracuse University will virtually award degrees to the Class of 2020 in May before holding an on-campus Commencement ceremony in the fall, Chancellor Kent Syverud announced Monday.

The university has postponed this year’s on-campus Commencement ceremony to the fall 2020 semester due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ceremony, initially scheduled to take place May 10 on the Quad, will be held in the Carrier Dome.

The Class of 2020 will receive their degrees on May 10, Syverud said in an SU News release.

“Recognizing a virtual degree conferral ceremony is no replacement for a full-fledged Commencement, we look forward to celebrating this important day with our graduates, their families, friends and loved ones,” Syverud said.

Coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected at least 1.9 million and killed 119,666 worldwide. SU has suspended on-campus classes and transitioned to online instruction for the remainder of the semester to curb the spread of the virus.

The online ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on a webpage the university has created to provide information on events for seniors taking place in May. The degree conferral will include remarks from Syverud, Interim Provost John Liu and Kathleen Walters, chair of SU’s Board of Trustees.

“Our 2020 graduates have worked hard for this milestone and deserve the opportunity to mark this day, pausing to recognize all they have achieved,” Syverrud said.