Columbia University is planning to hold six additional graduation ceremonies for students according to their race and other aspects of how they identify.
The New York City school’s website details graduation ceremonies for Native, Asian, “Latinx” and Black students taking place for Columbia College, Columbia Engineering, General Studies and Barnard College at the end of April. Another dubbed “FLI Graduation” is for “first generation and/or low income community.” The school also hosts a “Lavender” graduation for the “LGBTIAQ+ community.”
Due to coronavirus restrictions, the ceremonies will take place online. It’s unclear when the separate ceremonies were announced, but Sunday was the deadline for nominating individuals in Columbia College, Columbia Engineering and General Studies for the “Multicultural Affairs Graduation Cords.”
Columbia University did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
The university on Tuesday issued a statement on Twitter regarding the graduation ceremonies, saying the events “exist in addition to, not instead of, University-wide commencement and individual school Class Days,” and are “voluntary” and “open to every student.”
“These events are important, intimate and welcoming spaces for students aligned with these groups to come together to celebrate their achievements if they wish,” the university wrote in a tweet. “They are organized in tandem with students and student groups.”
Columbia’s university-wide commencement ceremony will be held on April 30.
Last month, Young America’s Foundation flagged a “Whites-only caucus” event scheduled to take place at Elon University. It was intended to “give white people a space to learn about and process their awareness of and complicity in unjust systems without harming their friends of color,” according to an email distributed by the university.
The university said the event was organized by a group of students and eventually did not take place because it would have been “at odds with university policies.”