As a student in the College of Arts and Science (CAS) at New York University, I am deeply disheartened and angered by the lack of a traditional graduation ceremony for our school. Currently, the CAS baccalaureate ceremony is reduced to a mere PowerPoint presentation where the graduates' pictures are merely flashed on a screen for a couple of seconds. This impersonal approach denies us the opportunity to celebrate our academic achievements and hard work in a meaningful way.

It is a long-standing tradition for graduates to walk across the stage as family, friends, and professors cheer them on—a moment that symbolizes the culmination of years of dedication and perseverance. However, CAS remains the only school at NYU that deprives its students of this pivotal moment, unlike other schools such as Tandon and Stern, which have responded to student petitions and tailored their ceremonies to be more inclusive and memorable.

Notably, Stern accommodates just a few hundred more students than CAS, yet manages to hold a full graduation ceremony. There is no substantial logistical barrier preventing similar arrangements for CAS students, whether through allowing students to walk during the baccalaureate or arranging smaller departmental graduations.

This petition calls for the Equal Opportunity Committee and NYU administration to recognize the need for a dignified and inclusive graduation ceremony for CAS students that is on par with other NYU schools. Providing either the traditional walk during the baccalaureate or orchestrating smaller departmental ceremonies can ensure each student is honored as they deserve.

We are not asking for the impossible, just the recognition and respect that every graduating student has earned. Join us in demanding a graduation experience for CAS students that truly reflects their hard work and achievements. Let's make NYU a place where every student's dedication is equally celebrated. Please sign this petition to support our cause.