Columbia University Cancels Commencement Amid Protests In Favor Of Smaller ‘School-Based Celebrations’
AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, Pool, File
Columbia University announced on Monday that its university-wide commencement ceremony, originally scheduled for May 15, is now canceled due to the anti-war protests on campus.
In an announcement on the university’s site, the following explanation of smaller, “school-based” ceremonies was provided:
We are determined to give our students the celebration they deserve, and that they want. Our Deans and other colleagues who work directly with our students have been discussing plans with student leaders, and, most importantly, listening. Based on their feedback, we have decided to make the centerpiece of our Commencement activities our Class Days and school-level ceremonies, where students are honored individually alongside their peers, rather than the University-wide ceremony that is scheduled for May 15.
Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families. They are eager to cross the stage to applause and family pride and hear from their school’s invited guest speakers. As a result, we will focus our resources on those school ceremonies and on keeping them safe, respectful, and running smoothly.
The announcement also stated:
These past few weeks have been incredibly difficult for our community. Just as we are focused on making our graduation experience truly special, we continue to solicit student feedback and are looking at the possibility of a festive event on May 15 to take the place of the large, formal ceremony.
Pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University resulted in a fraught, sometimes toxic environment for students as the pitch of the tone became more and more heightened and the threat of police action loomed. Encampments on campus were eventually cleared by law enforcement on April 30 after protestors — some students, some not — occupied Hamilton Hall. Over 100 arrests were made related to the protests.
