IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Commencement was bittersweet for University of Iowa graduates who were forced to leave campus early amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Gazette reports that Provost Monsterrat Fuentes addressed upfront the impersonal nature of Saturday’s virtual convocation for the university’s largest College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in a recorded message, noting that people are “heartbroken.”

Ceremonies were also held virtually last week for graduates of Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa amid the pandemic. Johns Hopkins University was reporting 336 deaths and 14,000 cases in the state.