By: Key Jones-Ford
The Brooklyn College (BC) Class of 2026 will not walk across the stage during commencement this year, according to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for the commencement ceremony and an email sent by The Division of Student Affairs.
Undergraduate Student Government (USG) president Cyle Paul sent out an email expressing his disappointment on April 23.
“What makes this even more frustrating is the lack of clear and timely communication to you all, especially with commencement right around the corner,” stated Paul.
The change in programming stems from a scheduling conflict, according to the BC Administration. The Barclays Center is scheduled to host a second graduation the same day at 4:30 p.m., leaving BC to finish its annual commencement at 12 p.m. The second graduation will be for the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Professional Studies (SPS).
The email sent by the BC administration on April 24 says that not walking the stage during graduation is common, clarifying that the classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025 were accommodated due to the lack of a strict end time for their ceremonies. Each of these ceremonies were roughly four hours long; the 2026 commencement ceremony will clock in at three hours if it runs perfectly on schedule from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
“This year’s Commencement at the Barclays Center has a required end time to accommodate our exit, the cleanup, and the setup for another graduation ceremony that afternoon,” the email reads.
Catherine Freeland, the Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Communications, provided further details on the conflicting schedule.
“Final details about the ceremony, including timing and format, were dependent on confirmation from the venue, which took longer than anticipated,” Freeland told The Vanguard.
Freeland also said that it is always the intention to keep students informed, and they are “[…] continuing to look at ways to improve communication moving forward.”
The change to commencement and the lack of clarity on the matter have sparked outrage among BC seniors, with several students taking to social media to voice their frustration.
Ifeoma Ezike, a graduating senior, has been vocal about the BC administration’s actions, utilizing her social media platform to advocate for changes to the decision.
“We are calling for a clear message from the administration to help us understand what is going on, what is the solution, and how we are going to be taking care of this,” Ezike said in her initial video, posted both to TikTok and Instagram.
“I expected a traditional ceremony like last year’s, where graduates walk across the stage and are recognized individually […] I didn’t expect that to change.” Ezike told The Vanguard.
Ezike has also responded to commenters who mentioned that BC is returning to how commencement was done in the past.
“We understand that there are logistical challenges and time constraints. But, just because something was done a certain way before does not mean it has to continue that way, especially when recent graduating classes were given the opportunity to walk across the stage and have their names called.”
Along with several other accounts, Ezike has started the hashtag “#LetUsWalk” in response to the decision. This includes changing their profile pictures to a headshot of the BC mascot, “Buster the Bulldog,” wearing a graduation cap, with the words “Let Us Walk” beneath him.
Other student-led actions include two separate petitions demanding that BC allow students to walk across the stage. Both petitions combined have garnered over 9,000 signatures as of the time of writing this article.
The announcement has also made city-wide attention with local news organizations, News 12 Brooklyn, and CBS News reporting on the matter.
The plan for commencement, according to Freeland, is to recognize students by academic discipline and by school, such as the School of Business and the School of Humanities. The ceremony starts with graduate students and will be followed by undergraduate students.
Students have the opportunity to have a picture and a short message displayed on a Jumbotron during the ceremony. The deadline for such was extended to May 1.
Names will not be called during the ceremony, and students will not receive a physical diploma.
Commencement is set to take place as planned on May 28 in The Barclays Center.
Students who plan to opt out of commencement can email Student Affairs to process any returns and refunds.