SUNY Old Westbury will become a temporary hospital for those affected by the coronavirus, and has postponed its 2020 commencement exercises.
Plans were announced Tuesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to turn the school into a temporary field hospital to combat the virus. Old Westbury will be joined by Stony Brook University in the effort.
The hospitals will be set up in field houses and outdoors, and staff will live in campus dorms. Staff will not be provided and will have to be recruited from the surrounding areas.
Michael Kinane, the school’s vice president of communications, said the school would comply.
“SUNY Old Westbury will do all it can to fully support the governor’s effort to stem the tide of COVID-19 and to help those who are impacted by this disease,” Kinane said. “As it has been for the past several weeks, the goal for each of us must be to ensure the safety of ourselves, our friends and loved ones, and the community at large.”
In accordance with Cuomo’s ban on mass gatherings of more than 500 people, the school’s 2020 commencement, which was scheduled to take place Sunday, May 17, at the NYCB Live at the Nassau Veterans Coliseum, has been postponed, according to a letter sent to faculty and students and by President Calvin O. Butts III.
“Your health and well-being remains our highest priority during these unprecedented circumstances,” Butts wrote. “As such, it is extremely important to comply with the guidelines outlined by the CDC, the State of New York, and the SUNY system in regards to mass gatherings as we have done with the announced changes to our campus this semester. As a result, we have made the incredibly difficult decision, as have many other SUNY campuses, to postpone the 2020 commencement ceremony to another date later this calendar year.”
No rescheduled date has yet been announced.
“To the class of 2020, commencement will be the culmination of your inspiring educational journey,” Butts wrote. “We know you have worked incredibly hard, overcome significant obstacles, and sacrificed much to be able to reach the point of graduation at SUNY Old Westbury. You deserve to wear that cap and gown. You deserve to hear the cheers. You deserve the moment. As soon as we are able to announce when that will be, we will make sure to share the date with the Class of 2020 and our campus community. We look forward to celebrating as you cross that stage.”
