USC To Host All-Day Virtual Graduation Celebration Friday

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – With college seniors across the nation missing out on that classic rite of passage of walking at graduation because of the coronavirus pandemic, universities have been scrambling to come up with online alternatives to help their students celebrate the moment.

USC Wednesday announced it will be holding an all-day virtual celebration for the class of 2020 on Friday.

"Though we will have a Commencement ceremony at a later time, we just can't let this important moment go unrecognized," President Carol Folt said. "We have to celebrate the degrees these graduates earned. This is our virtual hug until we can give them a real one."

The celebration will consist of an "interactive hub" in which families, faculty, staff, alumni and students will honor graduates with videos, photos and social streams.

The school said it will also include performances "and a few surprises."

This year, USC is giving out 19,500 undergraduate and graduate degrees, includes 2,000 doctorates.

RELATED: Barack And Michelle Obama To Deliver Commencement Messages For Graduating High School Seniors

The virtual festivities get underway at 9 a.m., with each of the 23 schools within USC holding their own special event.

Meanwhile, USC has faced some push back over its policies during the pandemic closure. The school has been hit with several lawsuits after refusing to refund the unused portions of campus fees back to students.

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