What is The Issue? Who is Impacted?

Graduate students and CPS students at Northeastern are being under-celebrated at one of the most important moments of their academic journey- graduation commencement. 

This year, while undergraduates enjoyed a high-energy commencement with fireworks, celebrity shoutouts, and beach balls, graduate and CPS students attended a quieter, more subdued ceremony, with no comparable energy, visibility, or investment.

We pay the same (and often more), commit years of advanced study, and make enormous personal and financial sacrifices. So why are we treated like an afterthought at the finish line?

Currently, Northeastern holds three separate commencement ceremonies: both the commencements for undergraduate and students graduate students take place in the same prestigious venue but the experiences are vastly different. While CPS student commencement takes place in a smaller venue, seperate from the student population.

Undergraduate ceremonies are lively, inspiring, and high-production. Graduate and CPS ceremonies feel like a formality. The contrast is demoralizing, especially for students who came to graduate school seeking a sense of pride, closure, and celebration, many of whom never got a proper undergraduate send-off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Graduate and CPS students at Northeastern deserve a commencement ceremony that celebrates their achievements with the same energy, visibility, and pride as their undergraduate peers.

What We Are Asking For

We propose two clear, achievable alternatives that Northeastern can choose from:

Option 1: A Unified Commencement
Hold one powerful, university-wide ceremony for all graduates, undergraduate, CPS, master’s, and doctoral, followed by smaller college-specific ceremonies for name reading and diploma distribution.

Many top universities (Harvard, UT Austin, Columbia, UNC, UCLA) already do this successfully. It builds unity, saves resources, and celebrates every graduate equally.

Option 2: Equal Ceremonies
If the university prefers to keep ceremonies separate, then graduate and CPS ceremonies must receive the same level of energy, planning, and investment as undergraduate ones. That includes:

• Cap tossing or an alternative (confetti, bubbles, etc.)
• Celebration visuals like beach balls or crowd interaction
• Camera angles that showcase all sections equally
• Quality speakers
• Thoughtful, visible recognition for CPS and nontraditional students

This isn’t about copying the undergrad experience, it’s about making sure grad students get one that feels equally significant and joyful, in its own way.

Top Universities Whom Model Unified Commencements

Some of the most respected institutions in the country hold unified commencements with great success:

• Columbia University celebrates all graduates together on the main campus before breaking into smaller ceremonies.
• Columbia Commencement 2023:  https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP86xAa1o/
• Columbia Commencement 2022: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP86xPDBT/
• UNC Chapel Hill brings together all bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral graduates in Kenan Stadium.
• UNC Chapel Hill Commencement 2025: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP86xBYGv/
•  UNC Chapel Hill Commencement 2025: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP86xySyx/
• UT Austin holds one commencement in its football stadium that honors graduates from all seventeen of its colleges and schools.
• UT Commencement 2025: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP86xCtBu/
• UT Commencement 2025: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP86xkRSA/
• Harvard University
  Harvard Commencement 2024: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP86xrCXb/
  Harvard Commencement 2023: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP86xBHVg/

Why It Matters

Commencement is more than a tradition. It is a life-defining moment. It reflects how a university values its students, and it shapes how graduates remember their experience.

Right now, graduate students often feel emotionally disconnected from the larger university community at the very moment they are meant to be honored. Unifying the commencement ceremony would restore balance, strengthen school pride, and reflect Northeastern’s commitment to equity, innovation, and excellence. If we have 

We Could Have a Better Ceremony

Northeastern has everything it needs to create a world-class commencement experience. 

Right now, we are splitting that moment in two unevenly, and missing an opportunity to give every graduate the celebration they’ve earned.

It would also improve alumni engagement. Research consistently shows that when students have powerful, emotionally resonant graduation experiences, they are more likely to remain connected to their alma mater and to give back later through mentorship, donations, and advocacy. better commencement experience creates a stronger sense of belonging and institutional pride across the entire graduating class, building a more loyal and engaged alumni community in the long term.

Sign This Petition If You Believe:

1.  Every graduate deserves the same level of celebration, recognition, and pride
2. Unification of graduate and undergraduate commencements OR equal resource allocation to graduate, undergraduate and  CPS commencements
3. Northeastern can and should make commencement more inclusive and impactful for everyone

We can create a commencement experience that makes EVERY Northeastern graduate feel excited and strengthen our Husky pride for generations to come. So why aren't we? At the end of the day, we all deserve fireworks.