Some LSU students, parents upset after university announces no in-person fall graduation ceremony

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - More changes are on the way for LSU students due to the ongoing pandemic.

Many parents and students wanted answers after learning LSU would switch the Fall 2020 graduation ceremony from in-person to virtual this December.

“When I came to kick off LSU when I was in high school, LSU said that graduation starts today. They looked at me, they drilled that, they said it a couple of times, ‘graduation starts today.’ And it really kind of sunk in with me and what they meant by that was the minute you step on campus and take classes, we’re here every step of the way to make sure that you are going to graduate,” explains graduating LSU senior Hailey Holland.

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For Hailey, walking across the stage for graduation is a big goal she has had for herself just like any other college student.

However, students and parents are now questioning why they are able to have football games and not graduation.

“We can host [a] football game, have all of these people there…that’s just disappointing. I would like to see LSU do something for these December graduates,” says Amy Holland, a parent of an LSU student.

Besides graduation, parents and students are looking ahead to the spring semester, and it looks like classes will stay on a hybrid platform.

Currently, LSU Interim President Tom Galligan is working with student leaders to try and find common ground on graduation and any changes for spring classes.

“We are walking on a line, a little bit of a tight rope, right. We are trying to keep the balance between social interaction while physically distant having as much as a great experience as we can have on campus while also not radically increasing the risk of spreading the disease,” Galligan says.

As of right now, LSU is still working on alternative plans. Certain breaks in the spring semester are being taken out to keep students from traveling and increasing their risk of exposure.

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