Segregated graduation at GVSU

[Langue_doc]

This is from Yahoo News, so I am not sure of its accuracy.

Michigan College Set to Host Graduation Services Segregated by Race, Ethnicity, and Sexual Identity

https://www.yahoo.com/news/michigan-college-set-host-graduation-205504391.html

I'm at a loss for words.

[Parasaurolophus]

In an email sent to community members that went viral on Twitter, the Michigan college's Multicultural Affairs Office outlined that the school would be hosting "five unique graduation celebrations designed to honor our diverse graduates."

Following the announcement, the email outlined that separate "Graduation Celebrations" would be held for Asian, Black, "Latino/a/x," Native Americans, and "Lavender" or "LGBTQIA+" students throughout this coming April.

The Black graduation ceremony will be "representative of Black/African American and African tradition, heritage, culture, and legacy," the school notes in a tradition that goes back at least to 2016.

That's five, of course. But presumably they also have white and non-lavender students graduating. Which would total more than five. Which leads me to suspect misleading reporting; I would guess that there are five separate celebration-events (each with an appropriate theme), which are supplementary to the main graduation ceremony.

So, nothing like as weird as it first sounds.

[jimbogumbo]

It states in the article there is a unified commencement where degrees are conferred. These are indeed celebrations, not commencement.

[Langue_doc]

The various celebrations based on ethnicity are troublesome for a variety of reasons. What kind of activities does the school consider Asian, for example? My understanding is that the way people of Chinese descent, for instance, celebrate graduation is quite different from the way people from Bangladesh or Vietnam do. Such celebrations are divisive as most students, in my experience, even in a very diverse city such as NY, do not segregate themselves based on their ethnic background or sexual orientation, but make friends based on other factors the way most of us have formed friendships.

I find this especially troubling because nowadays the first thing that is announced about a person is not his or her accomplishments, but the skin color or sexual orientation. Just the other day I was watching a program on PBS where the announcer used a string of adjectives to describe Harry Belafonte, with black heading the list. A decade ago, Belafonte would have been introduced as a singer, with his talent or accomplishments heading the list.

[marshwiggle]

It states in the article there is a unified commencement where degrees are conferred. These are indeed celebrations, not commencement.

Then the ridiculous part is the university providing  or funding *all of the celebrations. The university provides the universal events; individuals can do whatever they want on their own or with whoever else they want to associate.

*They don't need to provide any specific celebration; that's what families and friends are for.

[RatGuy]

It states in the article there is a unified commencement where degrees are conferred. These are indeed celebrations, not commencement.

Then the ridiculous part is the university providing  or funding *all of the celebrations. The university provides the universal events; individuals can do whatever they want on their own or with whoever else they want to associate.

*They don't need to provide any specific celebration; that's what families and friends are for.

Do you know that for sure? Or are you just assuming?

At my previous institution -- one of the most ethnically diverse campuses in that deep south state -- we had a number of similar celebrations. The Black Student Association celebration was significantly older than that at GVSU. They were hosted at university venues, usually an appropriately sized auditorium, but the funding and planning came from the student organizations. Students who participated were usually the first in their families to graduate, so it was a big deal for all involved. And since the general commencement forbids air horns, signs, noisemakers, and other forms of celebration (and applause is only allowed at the end), most families wanted a public celebration where they could cheer and feel that the students were properly feted.

[marshwiggle]

It states in the article there is a unified commencement where degrees are conferred. These are indeed celebrations, not commencement.

Then the ridiculous part is the university providing  or funding *all of the celebrations. The university provides the universal events; individuals can do whatever they want on their own or with whoever else they want to associate.

*They don't need to provide any specific celebration; that's what families and friends are for.

Do you know that for sure? Or are you just assuming?

At my previous institution -- one of the most ethnically diverse campuses in that deep south state -- we had a number of similar celebrations. The Black Student Association celebration was significantly older than that at GVSU. They were hosted at university venues, usually an appropriately sized auditorium, but the funding and planning came from the student organizations. Students who participated were usually the first in their families to graduate, so it was a big deal for all involved. And since the general commencement forbids air horns, signs, noisemakers, and other forms of celebration (and applause is only allowed at the end), most families wanted a public celebration where they could cheer and feel that the students were properly feted.

The more raucous the celebration, the better it is for the institution to have no formal connection to it. Sooner or later, something will cross a line that will put the institution in an awkward position by association. The restrictions placed on events sanctioned by the institution are there for a reason, and so allowing themselves to be associated with events without those restrictions is an accident waiting to happen.

[Diogenes]

The various celebrations based on ethnicity are troublesome for a variety of reasons. What kind of activities does the school consider Asian, for example?

That would be decided by the Asian Student Union or similar affinity group that is putting on the celebration. So you need not worry about that. They'll take care of it. They know what's best for them, not you.

[Diogenes]

Then the ridiculous part is the university providing  or funding *all of the celebrations. The university provides the universal events; individuals can do whatever they want on their own or with whoever else they want to associate.

*They don't need to provide any specific celebration; that's what families and friends are for.

Should I be mad that the Chess Club had a ice cream social?

[marshwiggle]

Then the ridiculous part is the university providing  or funding *all of the celebrations. The university provides the universal events; individuals can do whatever they want on their own or with whoever else they want to associate.

*They don't need to provide any specific celebration; that's what families and friends are for.

Should I be mad that the Chess Club had a ice cream social?

Not if they didn't have it in any university facilities. If they had it off-campus, then they're not bound by any campus rules, and the university has no reason to be concerned.

[apl68]

It states in the article there is a unified commencement where degrees are conferred. These are indeed celebrations, not commencement.

Then the ridiculous part is the university providing  or funding *all of the celebrations. The university provides the universal events; individuals can do whatever they want on their own or with whoever else they want to associate.

*They don't need to provide any specific celebration; that's what families and friends are for.

Do you know that for sure? Or are you just assuming?

At my previous institution -- one of the most ethnically diverse campuses in that deep south state -- we had a number of similar celebrations. The Black Student Association celebration was significantly older than that at GVSU. They were hosted at university venues, usually an appropriately sized auditorium, but the funding and planning came from the student organizations. Students who participated were usually the first in their families to graduate, so it was a big deal for all involved. And since the general commencement forbids air horns, signs, noisemakers, and other forms of celebration (and applause is only allowed at the end), most families wanted a public celebration where they could cheer and feel that the students were properly feted.

That sounds like a good way to do it.  Giving students opportunities to celebrate like that would also help to reign in the problems we've seen reported in the past regarding students trying to do various disruptive things to grab attention during the main graduation ceremony.  They have encouragement to save that stuff for later.

[Caracal]

Then the ridiculous part is the university providing  or funding *all of the celebrations. The university provides the universal events; individuals can do whatever they want on their own or with whoever else they want to associate.

*They don't need to provide any specific celebration; that's what families and friends are for.

Should I be mad that the Chess Club had a ice cream social?

Not if they didn't have it in any university facilities. If they had it off-campus, then they're not bound by any campus rules, and the university has no reason to be concerned.

Why should they have to have it off campus? On campus is likely to be more convenient and they don't need to spend money renting a space. The university isn't endorsing events by allowing them to be held. In fact, Public Universities can't prohibit events based on content. If the chess club can reserve a room, so can the college Libertarians

[dismalist]

Segregated graduation? Segregated orientations, dorms, social functions, too. Nothing new here. Even has its own name: Neo-segregation.

Governor Wallace, with his: "Segregation today . . . segregation tomorrow . . . segregation forever" in 1964 must have gotten it just right.

[Caracal]

It states in the article there is a unified commencement where degrees are conferred. These are indeed celebrations, not commencement.

Then the ridiculous part is the university providing  or funding *all of the celebrations. The university provides the universal events; individuals can do whatever they want on their own or with whoever else they want to associate.

*They don't need to provide any specific celebration; that's what families and friends are for.

Do you know that for sure? Or are you just assuming?

At my previous institution -- one of the most ethnically diverse campuses in that deep south state -- we had a number of similar celebrations. The Black Student Association celebration was significantly older than that at GVSU. They were hosted at university venues, usually an appropriately sized auditorium, but the funding and planning came from the student organizations. Students who participated were usually the first in their families to graduate, so it was a big deal for all involved. And since the general commencement forbids air horns, signs, noisemakers, and other forms of celebration (and applause is only allowed at the end), most families wanted a public celebration where they could cheer and feel that the students were properly feted.

Yes, and it sounds like that's all this is. They say that they welcome groups to hold graduation celebrations. The original email is confusingly worded and does sort of make it sound like the University has decided to hold these events on its own for different groups of students, rather than these being organized by student groups and the university is just helping coordinate all of this in the same way they are probably coordinating events for honor societies, or greek organizations. The rest is just dishonest and lazy reporting by people who are desperate to have something to yell about.

[marshwiggle]

Then the ridiculous part is the university providing  or funding *all of the celebrations. The university provides the universal events; individuals can do whatever they want on their own or with whoever else they want to associate.

*They don't need to provide any specific celebration; that's what families and friends are for.

Should I be mad that the Chess Club had a ice cream social?

Not if they didn't have it in any university facilities. If they had it off-campus, then they're not bound by any campus rules, and the university has no reason to be concerned.

Why should they have to have it off campus? On campus is likely to be more convenient and they don't need to spend money renting a space. The university isn't endorsing events by allowing them to be held. In fact, Public Universities can't prohibit events based on content. If the chess club can reserve a room, so can the college Libertarians

As I said above, any event happening on university property, whether it's sanctioned by the university or not, will be treated by the public as if it were sanctioned. So the institution needs to have clear rules about what can and can't be done on campus, whether an event is sanctioned or not, and enforce them, if they don't want to wind up being blamed for something that they would not have approved.

Having it in university facilities (which are funded by the university) but requiring no oversight is a recipe for disaster. (Universities aren't unique in this; any organization would face the same issue because people outside the institution don't make distinctions about whether events or actions are "approved" or not; if it happened there, with their knowledge, then it's "their" event.)