Columbia University is on the verge of an end to weeks of pro-Palestinian protests in which authorities stormed a barricaded school building and arrested dozens of people, according to university officials and two members of the student government. , are reconsidering their graduation plans.
University officials said the main graduation ceremony will be canceled, but smaller events are still planned.
After a meeting with university leaders on Friday, two members of the student government said administrators were unsure whether they would be able to hold graduation ceremonies at the main campus in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, due to safety concerns. He said he had expressed his intention.
It is unclear whether a final decision has been made.
“We know that our students and their loved ones are wondering about planning their college graduation ceremonies and school days. Our offices across Columbia are committed to ensuring that all ceremonies run smoothly and “We are committed to ensuring that all students, their families, and friends receive the celebration they deserve,” a Columbia University spokesperson said in a statement when asked for comment on graduation plans. “We will provide further information regarding ongoing preparations in the coming days.”
One student government representative who attended the meeting said Columbia University's administration is primarily concerned about outside protesters and is having trouble finding alternative venues.
Students told university leaders that many in the student body were concerned that President Minoush Shafiq would speak at the ceremony. “Her presence will cause a lot of upset,” one student leader told NBC News.
Other students are worried about the cost of staying on campus until May 15, when school is scheduled to begin, only to then learn it has been canceled.
An estimated 15,000 students are scheduled to graduate in separate outdoor ceremonies on May 15. Graduation ceremonies at Ivy League schools are a time-honored tradition dating back to 1758, when the school was known as King's College. Each school within Columbia also typically holds its own graduation ceremony.
A faculty member said some faculty and staff from Columbia University and Barnard College plan to attend an alternative graduation ceremony on May 16. Another member involved in the planning said the counter-graduation would be inspired by the counter-graduation ceremonies held in 1968.
Protests at Columbia University's Upper Manhattan campus erupted on April 17, with students setting up about 50 tents, demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and raising concerns that the university was profiting from the war. He insisted on withdrawing from a certain company.
Although authorities removed the demonstrators, they returned and encampments soon appeared on university campuses across the country.
At Columbia University, school administrators issued a statement after protesters, including those identified by city officials as “professional outside agitators,” occupied a building on campus early Tuesday and barricaded themselves inside. called the New York City Police Department for help.
On Tuesday night, police in riot gear rushed to the school around 9 p.m. and entered occupied Hamilton Hall through a second-story window. Authorities said nearly 100 people were arrested, including 40 people who were on the first floor of the barricaded building.
The arrest has shaken confidence in Shafik among some students and faculty at Columbia University. The university's president said in a letter to the New York City Police Department asking for help in demolishing Hamilton Hall that the occupation “left us with no choice.”
In a request for police assistance, Columbia University asked the NYPD to remain on campus until at least May 17, two days after the start of the protests.
A Columbia University spokesperson warns students that if they do not resolve the encampment on the campus' West Lawn before the end of the school year, they will be suspended from school and, if they are a senior, will not be eligible to graduate. Was.
Spokesperson Ben Chan said, “The chaos on campus has created a threatening environment for many people,'' adding that the measures the school is taking are “in response to the actions of the protesters.'' and not the protesters' cause.”
As campus unrest disrupts other schools, including police intervention and arrests, Columbia University's dilemma: Hold graduation ceremonies with serious safety concerns or cancel them altogether. is one of the dilemmas facing other universities.
Last month, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles canceled a major commencement ceremony scheduled for May 10, when alumnus Jon M. Chu, director of “Crazy Rich Asians,” was scheduled to give a keynote address. announced that it would be cancelled. Honorary degrees awarded to tennis star Billie Jean King and others.
The school had already canceled a graduation speech by its Muslim valedictorian following controversy over social media posts about Israel's war in Gaza. However, USC said it will continue to host individual school graduation ceremonies and other related events.