Update 3: WE GOT IT!! COMMENCEMENT WILL BE ON CAMPUS!! Update 2: We are awaiting the commencement team’s decision as they have announced a reconsideration! Update: The response from Columbia Commencement team is that the Morningside Campus is too small to accommodate the number of graduates. However, they are still splitting the ceremonies into undergraduate and graduate. There is no need for the event to occur off campus in that case! If you support this cause, please share via all your social media! Original Post: For the past four years, we have anticipated the pinnacle of our academic journey: graduation day. We looked forward to gathering with our friends, family, and the entire Columbia University community right on the hallowed grounds of our iconic campus. However, the recent and unexpected decision to relocate our commencement ceremony from the heart of our academic home to Baker Field, a venue located 100 blocks uptown, has been met with disappointment and frustration amongst our class. 

The decision lacks transparency, and the reasons for this abrupt change have not been clearly communicated to the graduating class or their families. Our campus, with its historical significance and central location, offers an environment that is both meaningful and convenient for students and their loved ones who wish to celebrate this monumental achievement.

Baker Field, although a part of the Columbia University facilities, poses a logistical challenge. The venue's distance from the main campus is inconvenient for students, faculty, and guests, many of whom rely on public transit or are unfamiliar with the area. Additionally, holding the ceremony at Baker Field could lead to accessibility issues for those with physical challenges and presents a barrier for family and friends who aim to partake in this joyous occasion.


Columbia's campus is not only familiar but symbolic of the years of dedication, resilience, and scholarship we have invested. It stands as a testament to our achievements and is the rightful place for us to commemorate the completion of our studies. We want to look upon Butler and reflect on our hard work. We want to graduate on the campus we've dedicated the last four years of our lives to.  We urge the Columbia University administration to reconsider their decision for the benefit of the student body, their families, and the broader community.

Sign this petition to join our call for transparency and action to move the Columbia University commencement ceremony back to campus. We deserve to graduate in the place where we have created lasting memories, worked extremely hard, and forged our futures.