QuickTake:

Details about the timing and location of the two rescheduled graduation ceremonies were not yet available. 

Updated with details about the rescheduled ceremonies.

The University of Oregon has postponed two college-specific afternoon graduation ceremonies in Autzen Stadium, amid scorching temperatures on Monday, June 15.

Officials said they were rescheduling and relocating ceremonies at the outdoor stadium in an emergency alert issued at about 3 p.m. Temperatures in Eugene inched above 90 degrees shortly after noon. They are not forecast to drop back into the high 80s until about 7 p.m.

Graduates had gathered at Autzen for a university-wide ceremony at 9 a.m. with the featured speaker, actress Marlee Matlin, and for a College of Arts and Sciences social sciences and humanities ceremony at 11:30 a.m.

But, per the alert, UO rescheduled and will relocate the remaining two events scheduled at the stadium today: the 2:30 p.m. College of Arts and Sciences’ natural sciences ceremony and the 5:30 p.m. College of Arts and Sciences graduate ceremony.

The ceremonies will be combined and rescheduled to 7:30 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena, the university said in a consecutive alert at 4:20 p.m.

The temperature on the turf field was 155 degrees, according to university spokesperson Angela Seydel. The university warned graduates on its website that Autzen Stadium’s turf is “hotter than the outside temperature.”

“The safety and well-being of our community and their loved ones is our top priority,” the 4:20 p.m. alert states. “We understand this is frustrating and disruptive to our grads, their families, and our staff volunteers.”

Graduates in the natural sciences waited in the sun on the Autzen field for about an hour before officials announced the rescheduling, one graduate told Lookout Eugene-Springfield.

Attendees have voiced frustration over the rescheduling in the comment section of the university’s Instagram account, with a couple commenters accusing the university of poor planning given the forecasted heat.

Lookout correspondent Annie Aguiar contributed reporting.

Grace Chinowsky graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in journalism. She served as editor-in-chief of the university’s independent student newspaper, The GW Hatchet, and interned at CNN and MSNBC. Grace covers Eugene’s city government and the University of Oregon.