On Monday, Columbia University announced it would not go forward with plans to hold the Ivy League institution’s main graduation ceremony later this month after pro-Palestinian protests caused a major disruption on the New York City campus.
Instead of holding the university-wide event on May 15, the college said feedback from deans and colleagues who have been working with student leaders led to the decision of making school-level ceremonies the “centerpiece” of commencement activities with graduates honored individually.
“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,” Columbia said in a statement.
Columbia also noted that class days and school ceremonies that had been slated to take…
