Afternoon Update: Columbia U. Cancels Main Commencement Ceremony

Berkeley investigates incident at law dean's house; protests hit 90 campuses; 64 arrested at UC-San Diego; DEI campus-impact tracker updated; and more ADVERTISEMENT [Afternoon Update Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. PLANS DISRUPTED [Columbia U. Cancels Main Commencement Ceremony After Protests]( A Columbia spokesperson said in a statement that holding a large-scale, universitywide event on the campus, which has been mired in turmoil after weeks of pro-Palestinian protests, would have presented too many security concerns. Officials also said they heard from students that the smaller school-level ceremonies, where graduates are honored individually, are most meaningful to them. (The Wall Street Journal) ADVERTISEMENT NEWLY UPDATED MAP [Here’s Where Student Protesters Are Demanding Divestment From Israel]( By Sonel Cutler and Alecia Taylor [STORY IMAGE]( More than 90 colleges have seen encampments or sit-ins since April 18. Our map shows new ones at Miami University of Ohio and Chapman University. DINNER INTERRUPTED [U. of California at Berkeley Opens Investigation Into Confrontation at Law Dean’s House]( The investigation concerns an interaction between a student and a professor, Catherine Fisk, who is the wife of Erwin Chemerinsky, Berkeley’s law dean. In April, the student interrupted a dinner hosted by Fisk and Chemerinsky and began talking about Palestine, and the two professors asked the student to leave. The student alleges that Fisk physically assaulted her. (NBC News) BACKGROUNDER [‘Get Rid of the Zionists Here’]( By Len Gutkin [STORY IMAGE]( When a dean becomes the target of student protesters. 'UNACCEPTABLE' HAZARD [64 People, Including 40 Students, Arrested at UC-San Diego Encampment]( The protest had tripled in size, posing an “unacceptable” safety hazard, the chancellor of the University of California at San Diego said on Sunday. Campus officials said the arrested students face interim suspensions. In-person classes were moved online on Monday. (The New York Times) INDEPENDENT REVIEW ORDERED [After Attacks on a Pro-Palestinian Encampment, UCLA Opens a New Campus-Safety Office]( Leaders at the University of California at Los Angeles have been criticized for security lapses last week after pro-Israel counterprotesters violently accosted students and others in the encampment; it took three hours for police officers to intervene. The University of California system has begun an independent review into UCLA’s response. (Los Angeles Times) INVESTMENT TRANSPARENCY [UC-Riverside, Rutgers U. Reach Agreements to End Student Encampments]( The University of California at Riverside will offer [more transparency about its investments]( and form a task force to explore changes to the university’s endowment, per the deal. The university’s business school will also discontinue its programs in Israel, Jordan, and a handful of other countries. Meanwhile, Rutgers University at New Brunswick will meet with students to [discuss their divestment request]( and offer admission to 10 displaced Palestinian students. (UC-Riverside, NorthJersey.com) NEWLY UPDATED [Tracking Higher Ed’s Dismantling of DEI]( By Erin Gretzinger and Maggie Hicks [STORY IMAGE]( We’ve documented actions taken on dozens of campuses to alter or eliminate jobs, offices, hiring practices, and programs amid mounting political pressure to end identity-conscious recruitment and retention of minority staff and students. THE REVIEW [Should Columbia Be Worried About Title VI?]( By Len Gutkin [STORY IMAGE]( Plus: A gun goes off. CEREMONY CONTINUED [1 Dead After Fall From Ohio State U.’s Stadium During Graduation]( The fall occurred as graduates were filing into the stadium on Sunday; the ceremony continued as planned. Neither university officials nor local authorities have identified the person who died. (The Columbus Dispatch) ACCREDITATION AT RISK [Keystone College May Be in ‘Imminent Danger of Closing,’ Accreditor Says]( The Middle States Commission on Higher Education gave Keystone, in Pennsylvania, an August 1 deadline to show that the college is financially stable. Keystone leaders say they’re in discussions with an investor to provide “a long-term path forward.” (WNEP) NO TEACH-OUT PLANS APPROVED [Wells College Faces Rebuke From Accreditor After Announcing Closure]( The Middle States Commission on Higher Education says that administrators at Wells, in New York, didn’t give enough notice that they planned to close the college. The accreditor hasn’t reviewed or approved any teach-out plans or agreements. Wells leaders announced last week that the institution would close after the spring semester. (CNY Central) UPCOMING PROGRAM [The Chronicle's Strategic-Leadership Program for Department Chairs | June 2024] [Join us in June]( for a professional development program tailored to the needs of department chairs. Experienced academic leaders will provide insights on the the current trends in higher ed, effective ways to manage a department, strategic planning, and more. [Register today!]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? 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