Chancellor Lyons: Here’s to a great commencement

Chancellor Rich Lyons sent the following message to the campus community on Thursday:

I am looking forward to Saturday, when we will celebrate together as a campus and congratulate our amazing graduates. I write today to express my commitment to sharing a commencement they deserve, one that meets the expectations of our students, their loved ones and guests, many traveling from across the world, who want nothing more than to celebrate one of the most meaningful days of their lives.

With that in mind, I note recent calls to “de-platform” the commencement speaker. As we do every year, our campus is taking the steps necessary to provide for the safety of those attending, and for the integrity of the event itself. I also ask those contemplating disruptive action to please reconsider — out of respect for the rights and interests of your fellow students.

This university has supported and will always support free speech and activism. Members of our community have every right to have their voices heard in support of their causes. What we don’t have a right to do is to infringe on the rights of others. That is one of the primary reasons we have a set of “Time, Place, and Manner” policies, and rules regarding expressive activity that protect the rights of all and help ensure we can achieve important goals, such as the undisrupted completion of our commencement celebration, a mission-relevant activity.

For more information about commencement plans, logistics and conduct expectations, see our commencement FAQ. It is my fervent hope and belief that we can avoid disruption. For those who choose to engage in activism, there are myriad ways to express oneself that respect the rights of others and align with our community rules and policies. That will be the case this Saturday, as it is during every other day of the year.

I’m excited to be participating in my first commencement as your chancellor, and to be celebrating our graduates during an annual event of great significance and meaning for them, for our campus and for our community.