For the second consecutive year, Emory University will be moving Commencement off the University Quadrangle. Due to the National Weather Service’s prediction of severe weather on May 12, Emory will hold its 180th Commencement in the George W. Woodruff Physical Education Center (WoodPEC), according to a university-wide email on May 11. Additionally, Emory College of Arts and Sciences (ECAS) graduates can only bring three guests to the ceremony. This year’s Commencement speaker, Usher, will deliver his keynote address, which will be live-streamed at the ECAS Bachelor of Arts ceremony.
Before the inclement weather altered plans, all ECAS students were scheduled to receive their diplomas at a 10 a.m. ceremony on May 12. Bachelor of Arts candidates will now receive their diplomas at an 8 a.m. ceremony and Bachelor of Science candidates will receive their diplomas at a 10:30 a.m. ceremony, both held in the WoodPEC.
The Goizueta Business School Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) diploma ceremony has been moved from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., but will still take place in the WoodPEC. This ceremony will not require tickets. Additionally, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing diploma ceremony will take place as scheduled in the Emory Student Center at 11 a.m. Additionally, the School of Medicine Medical Imaging Program Diploma Ceremony will also take place as planned at 12:30 p.m. in Cannon Chapel.
Emory’s Commencement webpage states that students must retrieve new guest tickets for their ceremonies starting at 8 p.m. on May 11 in Emory’s Tassel online portal. Additionally, the webpage states that the University cannot provide extra tickets to students nor change which ceremony they will attend.
Last year, Emory moved Commencement to the Gas South District in Duluth, Ga., following days of pro-Palestinian protests on campus last year.
In an email to the Emory Commencement team with a subject line of “Left Out of Our Own Commencement – Request for Action,” Daisy Macias (25B) called the decision to not include all students in a University-wide commencement and the messaging around changes due to the weather “incredibly frustrating.”
“The communication around this decision has made it seem like it's not a big deal, which is quite disheartening,” Macias wrote. “College commencement is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and the idea that we can only participate through a live stream feels extremely disappointing after years of hard work.”
Macias questioned the University’s planning for rain, as the National Weather Service had forecasted thunderstorms for days before May 11.
“You say this decision was not made lightly, but given that the forecast has looked unfavorable all week and your team says ‘after days of continuous rain,’ it’s hard not to feel like there could’ve been better planning in advance to ensure all students could be part of the full ceremony experience,” Macias wrote. “I don’t see why all graduates couldn’t attend the Commencement portion at the WoodPEC—even if it meant no guests were allowed for that segment—and then proceed with the individualized ceremonies afterward.”
Assistant Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond wrote in an email to The Emory Wheel that limited seating prevents the University from allowing all guests to attend the Commencement ceremonies.
“Emory encourages guests to watch the live stream of the ceremony and celebrate this important milestone virtually if they are unable to attend in person,” Diamond wrote.
After the University announced that there would be limited tickets available to some ceremonies, multiple parents emailed the Wheel and Emory administrators expressing their frustration.
Shari Rajoo wrote that the university's decision to limit tickets is “heartbreaking.”
Another parent, Raquel Waisser, wrote that they traveled from Mexico to attend their son’s graduation with three other family members.
“I was informed only a few hours ago that due to severe weather, the ceremony venue has been moved indoors and ticket allocations have been reduced to three per graduate,” Waisser wrote. “This means one of us—despite having traveled internationally for this occasion—will be excluded from attending. This is simply unacceptable.”
In response to Waisser’s statement, Office for Undergraduate Education Senior Director of Operations Amy Stalzer wrote that Emory decided to move commencement to keep attendees safe and ensure every student can walk across the stage.
Jorge Fuentes, a parent attending Commencement, wrote that these changes have “created significant distress” for his family and many other attendees. Additionally, he wrote that he hoped the University would find a way to move the commencement ceremony to a larger indoor venue.
“Emory has always prided itself on its commitment to community and excellence,” Fuentes wrote. “Accommodating the families of your graduates, especially during a significant event like commencement, is a reflection of those values. We respectfully request urgent reconsideration of this policy and clear communication regarding any alternative solutions that can be implemented. Our families deserve the opportunity to celebrate this achievement together.”
Many students and families, like Fuentes and Macias, have been left feeling like the rain plans for Commencement favor some ceremonies and graduating students over others.
“I urge the university to reconsider its decision,” Macias wrote. “The importance of this day should not be minimized, and I hope the university can find a way to honor the commitment and achievements of all its students equally.”
Spencer Friedland (26C) is from Long Island, N.Y. While not working at the Wheel, he is a member of Emory Disability Rights, Education Activism and Mentoring and the Franklin Fellows program. In his free time, he can be found watching the New York Yankees or going to the movies.
