In the light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, NJIT President Joel S. Bloom has decided to cancel the in-person commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020 undergraduate, masters, and doctoral graduates and move the ceremony to a virtual program. Students will no longer have the opportunity to hear their name announced and walk across the stage at Prudential Center to receive their diploma.

Graduating college is a important milestone and accomplishment in many students' lifetimes. For first-generation college students to the students who worked part-time jobs just to receive an education, having the opportunity to be recognized for this achievement is an event that students and their families look forward to for years. Graduating is no easy feat and these years at college required sacrifices from both students and their families. While the precaution to move the rest of the semester online to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is understandable, cancelling commencement is unnecessarily rash and premature. Furthermore, it is incredibly disrespectful to the student body who invested time and money into NJIT to further their education. We deserved to be recognized for our hard work.

We call on you President Joel Bloom to rectify this decision by POSTPONING the Class of 2020 Commencement Ceremony to a later date that corresponds to the CDC recommendations on large gatherings. We hope that you can follow in similar footsteps of Brown University who has promised their students not to cancel commencement but to postpone it.

We ask you to sign this petition and give the Class of 2020 Graduates a chance at a proper graduation ceremony. Thank you.