Dallas County Community College District has postponed its commencement ceremonies for this spring semester indefinitely, district chancellor Joe May said in a March 31 districtwide email. He said the change is based on new guidance issued by government health officials advising against large gatherings or events.

May said that while the decision is unfortunate, it is the one that best serves the DCCCD community.

Allen Solomon, a Brookhaven College student set to graduate this semester, said the announcement made him uncertain about the future. “It’s kind of thrown a curveball in my college career,” he said.

But May said in the email that the delaying of the ceremonies will not affect the conferring of degrees and certificates.

In an April 1 campuswide email, Brookhaven president Linda Braddy said she is working with May and other district leaders to review options for holding the commencement ceremony later in the year.

“The wrath of the COVID-19 pandemic has been unrelenting on cities and countries around the world and I believe this change is necessary to lessen any further effects it may have on our community,” she said.

The announcement came the same day Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered schools to remain closed until May 4. The order did not explain whether that included colleges and universities.

As of April 2, there were over 1 million global confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. The Texas Department of State Health Services reports that about 4,600 cases were in Texas, and that about 730 of those were in Dallas County.