More than 15,000 UCLA graduates will be awarded degrees during convocation ceremonies on Friday and throughout the weekend, capping a tense quarter at the Westwood campus, which has been the center of national controversy over campus policing, vigilante violence, pro-Palestinian protests and allegations of anti-Semitism.
Graduate ProgramsThe celebration, which began Thursday evening with an Academic Honors and Athletics reception, will kick into full swing at 11 a.m. with the first of three ceremonies for the College of Arts and Sciences — the university’s largest division — that will run through the evening at Pauley Pavilion sports arena.
In total, about 26,000 people are expected to attend the arena ceremony, with thousands more expected at the other graduation ceremonies.
UCLA is one of seven University of California campuses — from Davis to San Diego — that will celebrate convocations over the next few days. But clashes and controversy continue over pro-Palestinian protests. Universities have been forced to They will implement new safety measures to welcome thousands of guests and graduates for a significant moment of pride and accomplishment.
Nearly 70 events for undergraduates and graduate programs are scheduled on the UCLA campus through Monday. Many of these events will be held at Royce Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus, adjacent to the Central Green, where a pro-Palestinian camp was set up on April 25. Law enforcement arrested more than 200 activists on May 1 after a night of mob violence against protesters.
The attack is the focus of internal and external investigations, as the police response was delayed for several hours, giving police insufficient time to stop the violence. UCLA’s then police chief removed and the creation of a new Office of Campus Safety.
UCLA has since faced numerous protests as pro-Palestinian activists have demanded that the university end its financial ties with weapons companies and Israel — including two short-lived camps. Monday night Following the incident, 25 protesters were arrested and ordered to stay away from the campus for two weeks.
Questions of anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim sentiment have also been an issue. Outgoing Chancellor Jean Block faced hostile questioning last month by a congress committee Amid complaints of rising anti-Semitism on campus, several Jewish students have sued the university for allegedly illegally restricting access to campus by pro-Palestinian protesters, and in December the US Department of Education announced a civil rights investigation into UCLA.
UCLA officials said they are prepared for disruptions during a commencement session when protests have become common.
“Though we are taking extra security measures to ensure a smooth convocation ceremony, it is also possible that there may be protests during the events,” an official said. statement at UCLA website.
“If minor disruptions occur during the ceremony, our commencement speakers and leadership will deal with them with patience, and we ask that of you. In the event of any significant disruptions, we will take appropriate action to mitigate the situation in order to protect the safety of all attendees and allow the event to proceed,” the statement said.
Mary Osako, UCLA’s vice chancellor for strategic communications, said she hopes “the beauty of this important moment will be the focus of these ceremonies.”
“Convocation is a powerful event for students — it’s the culmination of years of hard work. It’s also a profound moment for the loved ones of our graduates,” Osako said.
Some security changes have been made this year.
For the first time, all major events will require guests to either bring clear bags or go bagless. This policy has been implemented for sporting events, including basketball games at Pauley Pavilion. Additional event venues with clear bag screening rules include Royce Hall, Drake Stadium, the Los Angeles Tennis Center, intramural fields and the Ackerman Grand Ballroom, among other venues.
The Kerckhoff Patio, a venue that has been the focus of pro-Palestinian protests, is not included in the ceremony programme despite being chosen for several graduation ceremonies last year.
“Banners, signs or flags” are banned, although this rule was in place last year as well.
The ceremonies at UCLA are the last in the country, with ceremonies also scheduled at six other UC campuses between Friday and Tuesday.
Some of them have also implemented new security procedures, as protests against the Israel-Hamas war have disrupted graduation ceremonies at other campuses, such as UC Berkeley.
The clear bag rule is in effect at UC San Diego, where the main events will take place on Saturday, while at UC Riverside, officials said clear bags are “preferred” for ceremonies on Monday and Tuesday.
Some universities are requiring tickets and security checks for the first time, including UC Santa Barbara, where ceremonies will be held through Sunday. The campus has also expanded the list of banned items to include artificial noise-making devices, balloons, confetti, large banners, signs, flags, backpacks, bags and items larger than 14 inches by 14 inches by 6 inches. Many other campuses also have bans on such items.
However, UC Irvine officials said no changes are expected to their graduation ceremonies, which will be held at the Bren Events Center, the campus’ indoor arena, starting Friday. The Irvine Center and the other sports venues being used as convocation venues — Toyota Arena for UC Riverside and the Golden 1 Center for UC Davis — have their own rules that will apply to students and guests. They include a list of prohibited items and a code of conduct, such as no fighting, profanity or vulgar speech.
Campus officials across the UC system declined to share information about whether they intend to increase security presence and how they plan to deal with any protests that disrupt the ceremonies.
UC Berkeley, which held its commencement ceremony at California Memorial Stadium on May 11, has increased the number of law enforcement officers, spokesman Dan Mogulof said. He declined to say how many additional officers were brought in.
Mogulof said there was a group of about 30 to 40 students among the 7,700 graduates at the convocation started shouting slogans in support of PalestineThe campus decided not to use law enforcement to escort them out of the venue, which Mogulof said could have proved more disruptive. Instead, the ceremony was halted for about 10 minutes while security officers told the students to stop. The students moved to another section and continued to yell, but Mogulof said most people could still hear the inaugural speakers.
