Changes to academics

Amidst the sit-in, student arrests and an active encampment, Vanderbilt did not make any changes to exam schedules or normal university operations. There were no attempts made to remove the encampment by university officials or other students on campus. 

Unlike Vanderbilt, Columbia canceled in-person classes on April 22 after five days of pro-Palestine protests and the arrests of over 300 people, including student protesters. Classes at UCLA went virtual on May 1 after a violent interaction between student protesters at the university’s encampment and counter-protesters trying to disband the encampment. Classes were also held remotely from May 6 to May 10 after 60 people were arrested for holding a sit-in at Moore Hall.

Columbia Law School postponed their final exams and Harvard moved its undergraduate final exams from Harvard Hall to buildings on the periphery of Harvard Yard. Although the university did not give an official reason for moving the exam locations, students claimed the change was due to the pro-Palestine encampment occupying the yard. A few universities also made changes to their graduation ceremonies, including the University of Southern California and Columbia. USC announced on April 25 that it would cancel its main-stage graduation ceremony scheduled for May 10.