Columbia University has cancelled its university-wide graduation ceremony on Monday in favor of smaller, school-based events amid ongoing pro-Palestinian protest demonstrations in the city and other college campuses across the country. A university official told NBC News that the decision to alter the graduation ceremony plans were made largely due to security concerns.
The decision from Columbia comes as universities around the country are deciding with how to handle their graduation ceremonies amid the protests. Emory University also announced Monday that it would move its commencement from its campus quadrangle in Atlanta to a suburban arena; and the University of Southern California earlier canceled its main graduation ceremony while allowing other commencement activities to continue. Other universities have held their graduation ceremonies with additional security, including The University of Michigan and Northeastern University’s commencement in Fenway Park, Boston, MA.
Columbia said in a statement that the past few weeks have been “incredibly difficult for our community,” adding: “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.” The University added that the decision was made following discussions with faculty and students leaders, sharing: “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.” Typical commencement is held on Columbia’s main campus where the encampment was; however, the majority of the upcoming ceremonies will now be hosted at Columbia’s Baker Athletics Complex with some exceptions, according to the university.
The protests at Columbia have inspired similar demonstrations at dozens of universities around the U.S. Students have called for a ceasefire in Gaza and have demanded their schools divest from companies with ties to Israel.
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