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Columbia’s president had previously said she didn’t need to deprive students of an in-person birthday party after many graduated from top school during the pandemic.
By Sharon Otterman
After weeks of student protests, Columbia University announced Monday that it will cancel its main rite of inauguration and hold smaller ceremonies for its 19 universities, most commonly at its sports complex about 100 blocks north.
The university’s main campus has been almost closed since last Tuesday, when a group of police invaded Hamilton Hall to evict some 46 pro-Palestinian protesters occupying the building and arrested more than one hundred people protesting in and around the campus. . facilities.
Dozens of police officers are still on and around campus, leaving questions about how some 15,000 graduates and their visitors will be able to be safely admitted to the surrounding domain by the start of the school year on May 15.
Nemat Shafik, president of Columbia, had in the past cited her preference for hosting the campus opening as one of the main reasons she called police on April 30 to evict the occupants of Hamilton Hall and the giant tent encampment that had occupied a center lawn for two weeks.
But on Monday, Columbia officials explained that protection is one of the main reasons for the cancellation.
“We need to make our graduation activities the centerpiece of our school-wide ceremonies and class days, where students are revered separately along with their peers, rather than the university-wide ceremony,” the university wrote in a statement.
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