NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering reaffirmed its decision not to let graduating students walk across the stage at its 2023 graduation ceremony during a town hall event held Wednesday. At the town hall, which was held to discuss student criticism of the decision, Tandon dean Jelena Kovačević attempted to assuage frustrated students, telling them that the decision was necessary due to the large size of the class of 2023.

“We are constantly running to catch up,” Kovačević said. “We hear you, we really do. It is not lost on us how hard this is for you.” 

In response to the decision, which was announced on Feb. 27, 1,300 students signed a petition demanding that the university allow this year’s graduating class of over 3,000 students to walk the stage during the ceremony, which is held at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in the same week as the all-university commencement ceremony.

This year, each graduate’s name will instead be read aloud while their photo is displayed on the Barclays jumbotron to reduce the length of the ceremony. Other schools at NYU, including the College of Arts & Science, have followed this format for years. Last year, 2,067 students walked at the graduation ceremony, which lasted over six hours.

During the event, administrators addressed students’ questions and concerns about the ceremony. Many voiced their discontent and proposed alternatives, including holding separate ceremonies for different departments or moving to a larger venue. Multiple students said that their families decided not to travel to see their graduation due to the fact that they would not be walking.

Tandon senior Courtney Battieste said that she wishes Tandon’s administration had been more open about its plans for the ceremony.

“Everyone would be less pissed off if they were just more transparent from the beginning,” Battieste said. “If they had told us, we wouldn’t have to be coming up with all these ideas.”

Planning for each class’s graduation ceremony begins 11 months in advance, a month after the ceremony for the preceding class takes place, according to Leah Schmerl, a spokesperson for Tandon. A standing committee of administrators is tasked with finding a venue in Brooklyn that can accommodate both students and their guests. The Barclays Center has been the chosen venue for Tandon’s graduation ceremony since 2013.

Kovačević said that she understands the students’ grievances, and encouraged them not to let the change in the ceremony spoil their fun.

“You don’t want to not enjoy your own graduation day because one element is missing,” Kovačević said. “It pains me that you are in pain.”

Adrianna Nehme contributed reporting.

Contact Ania Keenan at [email protected].