As the encampment at Columbia University carried on this week, crews began getting nearby lawns and the library steps ready for commencement festivities.

“The university is definitely still pushing forward as planned. I think it’ll be quite interesting to see,” Aliyah, a graduating senior, told NY1.

There have been calls from protest groups for students and staff to boycott this year’s commencement. The presence of the encampment on the lawn also raises questions about how ceremonies could logistically be held as planned on May 15 if the protesters are still there.

What You Need To Know

  • The encampment at Columbia University has been in place for more than a week

  • Commencement is scheduled for May 15 on the same lawns being used by protesters

  • Set-up for graduation is underway, and the school says it will monitor the situation

In an email to students Tuesday, Columbia President Minouche Shafik said she hoped discussions with protesters were successful. However, she added that if they were not, the university would consider alternative options for clearing the West Lawn to allow for the end of the term and graduation.

“I am deeply sensitive to the fact that graduating seniors spent their first year attending Columbia remotely. We all very much want these students to celebrate their well-deserved graduation with family and friends,” she said.

Many of those students also missed out on high school graduations in 2020 due to the pandemic. 

When asked whether the situation had spurred the university to re-think its plans, a spokeswoman for the university said, “We continue to assess the situation on campus.”

Aliyah said she expects there to be some disruptions if the encampment remain in place.

“It hasn’t affected any of my commencement plans personally. Obviously the encampment, they are staying until Columbia divests, which makes sense. So I assume it would cause some sort of disruption to commencement, but also, their goals are clear and it makes sense for what they’re trying to accomplish,” she said.

New York University and The New School have also seen students set up protests in recent weeks. But at both institutions, university-wide commencement ceremonies are scheduled to be held off-campus, in places that might be easier to secure. 

The NYU commencement will be held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, and The New School is scheduled to have its commencement at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens.

Neither school responded to a request for comment about commencement plans.