US: Crackdown on diversity programs is altering college graduation traditions

Austin Kissinger, a first-generation college student himself, was looking forward to sharing his graduation with other students in the same category who encouraged each other throughout the University of Kentucky. Historically, Kentucky first-generation college students select a member of the faculty with whom to walk during a distinct ceremony. The university last month canceled the ceremony, along with other convocations celebrating Black and LGBTQ+ students, out of deference to the Trump administration's attempt at restricting diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Student groups threw a party together off campus - away from school - but Kissinger said the decision left some students such as himself feeling forsaken.

"It's stealing our celebration, like you're stopping us from celebrating who we want to celebrate," Kissinger, a First Generation Student Organisation senior and university president, said. "You're stopping us from being representative of what we do here at the university."

President Donald Trump's pressure that any program treating students differently by race be scaled back has brought affinity graduation ceremonies under fresh scrutiny. The ceremonies have been a way of building community and celebrating underrepresented students' achievements and unique experiences for decades.

The vast majority of affinity ceremonies will continue as usual across the country, with colleges demanding that the events comply with new guidelines.

A few colleges are, however, backing away from support. Harvard University is one of them and is battling the Trump administration in court over requests for change involving campus activism and campus diversity. Although they sued the administration in response to some of its initiatives to impose change on campus, Harvard told students that it was no longer providing funding, personnel or space for affinity celebrations, according to the Harvard Crimson student newspaper.

Some colleges shift to comply with Trump administration directive

At the University of Kentucky, spokesman Jay Blanton said the top commencement honors will be awarded to all students. He said the university cut others to comply with the law and "how we think it's being interpreted by the administration."

"Our students' success and support is something that is a guiding principle and mission that means the world to us. Everything that we do on this campus, we do with that as our objective," Blanton said. "Meanwhile, we do think we have to follow the law and are doing so here."

Across the country, schools have been under increasing pressure to get in line behind Trump's agenda, as it has already suspended billions of dollars' worth of grants at Harvard, Columbia University and other universities because they have not done sufficiently to combat antisemitism.

The Education Department directed colleges to stay away from DEI in a "Dear Colleague" letter issued in February 2023. In it, a 2023 Supreme Court decision opposing racial preferences in college admissions also applied to such items as hiring, scholarships and graduation ceremonies. The administration claimed American schools have been discriminating against students, including white and Asian American students.

"In a humiliating flashback to a previous, more wicked era in the life of this country, many American colleges and universities actually encourage racial segregation at commencement and in residence halls and other buildings," the letter read, signed by Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights in the Education Department.

The tradition dates back to segregation times in some schools, but organizers of today's Black commencements argue they are a way of marking the accomplishment of racially mixed student bodies that for years had gone unremarked. "Lavender graduations," marking LGBTQ+ students and dating back to a time two decades or more ago when many were not welcomed by their families, are also standard on most colleges.

For students who are first-generation college attendees, it is simple to get lost or have no idea where to go in order to seek help, Kissinger explained. At Kentucky, he said that he felt most of the time like he was the one on whom rested the burden to get it all done by himself. The affinity ceremony, he explained, was a nod to strength and pride in that they made it to graduation.

With convocations cancelled, alternative means of upholding traditions are sought

Maricopa County Community Colleges in Arizona cancelled all its special interest and cultural convocations, citing in a statement "enforcement priorities" directed by the US Education Department. But the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community came forward to organize a convocation ceremony for American Indian graduates.

"While we are greatly disappointed by the cancellation of convocation ceremonies for minority students, we believe it is important that we as a community celebrate our graduates and their families," said community President Martin Harvier in a statement.

Ohio University's Black alumni weekend was organized by Aaron Thomas to take place this spring after the event was canceled by the university so that it would coincide with a state prohibition on DEI, which is a copy of the federal requirement. Thomas, whose production company is located just off the university campus in Athens, Ohio, had planned to sponsor an alumni barbecue before the mayor's office, nonprofits and restaurants pooled their resources to help host the weekend of activities.

Among the colleges that have affinity events planned in upcoming weeks is California State University, Long Beach, which continues to hold its celebration of Pacific Islander and Cambodian students, among others, in accordance with the administration's policy because they are inclusive.

"Our students are looking forward to these celebrations, which are inclusive and consistent with the Department of Education guidance," spokesman Jim Milbury said.

On its website, a posting after information about the cultural observances acknowledges the changing college culture:

"Particularly as federal immigration policies evolve, there is a concern that agents and officers of US immigration enforcement agencies will make visits to university campuses across the country," it says. "While we have no word of any planned visit to our campus, we share this information."