UC Irvine is canceling its traditional graduation this spring as a precaution against the novel coronavirus, the first University of California campus to cancel the iconic ceremony.

“We are saddened to share that the UCI Commencement Ceremonies will not take place in the same way as previous years,” Willie L. Banks Jr., the vice chancellor of student affairs, wrote in a message to students Friday.

The cancellation marks the first time in the university’s 55-year history that the joyous capstone to a student’s college journey will not go on in the traditional way. Banks advised families not to make arrangements to come to the campus for the celebrations, which were scheduled for June 12-15.

The Irvine campus of nearly 37,000 students is diverse, with 35% Asian American students, 23% Latino, 16% white and 3% African American. Nearly one in five students are from other countries, predominantly China. The Irvine graduation draws tens of thousands of visitors to campus from around the country, if not the world.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.