April 15, 2024

Dear USC community,

At this time of year, all talk about commencement should focus on the tremendous accomplishments of our 19,000-plus graduates, their friends, their families, and the staff and faculty who have been such a critical part of their journeys. As I walk around our campuses, there’s a palpable sense of excitement as soon-to-be-grads happily pose for pictures with friends in all their favorite sites. At the same time, we all recognize the strife, turbulence, and pain being experienced within our own community, and on so many other campuses and places around the world.

The main stage commencement at USC draws 65,000 people to the University Park Campus. As at all universities, this is the most exciting week and most important academic event of the year. We seek to produce a ceremony that unites our community and celebrates the hard work and achievements of graduates from all our schools and programs. Because of USC’s size and scale, commencement week is also the most challenging time of the year for our Department of Public Safety (DPS) personnel, who work tirelessly and effectively to keep our campuses the safe places that they are.

The Office of the Provost is involved in commencement in many ways, including the selection of our undergraduate valedictorian. Unfortunately, over the past several days, discussion relating to the selection of our valedictorian has taken on an alarming tenor. The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement. We cannot ignore the fact that similar risks have led to harassment and even violence at other campuses.

As always, and particularly when tensions are running so high across the world, we must prioritize the safety of our community. And as we do every year, we have been monitoring our commencement security needs based on all the information we have and the facts on the ground. Our DPS and expert campus safety team are uniquely prepared to evaluate potential threats, and we have consulted with them about the current situation, taking into account everything we know about our reality, as well as the unprecedented risks we are seeing at other campuses and across the world. We are resolute in our commitment to maintain and prioritize the existing safety and well-being of our USC community during the coming weeks, and allowing those attending commencement to focus on the celebration our graduates deserve.

After careful consideration, we have decided that our student valedictorian will not deliver a speech at commencement. While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety. This decision is not only necessary to maintain the safety of our campus and students, but is consistent with the fundamental legal obligation – including the expectations of federal regulators – that universities act to protect students and keep our campus community safe. It applies the same values and criteria that we have used in the past to guide our actions. In no way does it diminish the remarkable academic achievements of any student considered or selected for valedictorian. To be clear: this decision has nothing to do with freedom of speech. There is no free-speech entitlement to speak at a commencement. The issue here is how best to maintain campus security and safety, period.

Many have asked about the process for selecting the valedictorian. As has been true throughout USC’s history, the provost’s office managed the process. The first step was the appointment of faculty members to the Valedictorian and Salutatorian Selection Committee. This year the committee evaluated nearly 100 applications submitted from among the more than 200 graduating seniors who qualified for consideration based on their GPAs. The committee assessed each application based on various criteria – which did not include social media presence – and made a recommendation to me. Based on these faculty recommendations, I made the final decision.

This summer, I will work with the faculty to reconsider how best to recognize and celebrate the incredible achievements of our most outstanding undergraduate students. Many large universities like USC, for example, have moved away from selecting a single valedictorian from the many who are qualified, in favor of more inclusive processes and traditions.

At a time when there is so much discord in the world around us, it has never been more important for us to come together as a community, embrace our Unifying Values, and celebrate our individual and collective achievements. Commencement will be an opportunity for us to do just that, and President Folt and I very much look forward to seeing and celebrating with you there.

Sincerely,
Andrew T. Guzman
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

FAQ

How does USC work to keep commencement safe each year?

Our community can have confidence in the university’s preparations and security measures – both at commencement and every day on campus. USC is uniquely prepared and trained for these kinds of situations: we have one of the largest university public safety departments in the country, with more than 300 Department of Public Safety (DPS) employees, who will be fully deployed at commencement. The Los Angeles Police Department provides additional resources, as they are assigned to our University Park Campus (UPC) around the clock, and will provide additional assistance during commencement week.

We begin planning for every commencement from a fresh perspective, learning from previous years, but launching each planning cycle anew. When it comes to assessing risks, everything starts from scratch based on what we know – and we update our plans as new information comes in. This year we recognize we face a challenging geopolitical environment and we are tailoring our plans appropriately to ensure a safe and celebratory commencement for all Trojans and their families. 

USC will always put the safety of its students, faculty, staff and guests first.  

What happened to this year’s valedictorian speaking opportunity?

The main stage commencement at USC draws 65,000 people to University Park Campus. As at all universities, this is the most exciting week and the most important academic event of the year. We seek to produce a ceremony that unites our community and celebrates the hard work and achievements of graduates from all our schools and programs.

At this time of year, all talk about commencement should focus on the tremendous accomplishments of our 19,000-plus graduates, their friends, families, and the staff and faculty who have been such a critical part of their journeys. However, discussion about USC’s selection of the undergraduate valedictorian has taken on an alarming tenor. The intensity of feelings, fueled by both social media and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, has grown to include many voices outside of USC and has escalated to the point of creating substantial risks relating to security and disruption at commencement.

As we do every year, we have been monitoring our commencement security needs based on all the information we have and the facts on the ground. Our DPS and expert campus safety team are uniquely prepared to evaluate potential threats and we have consulted with them about the current situation, taking into account everything we know about our reality as well as the unprecedented risks we are seeing at other campuses and across the world. After careful consideration, we have decided that our student valedictorian will not deliver a speech at commencement. While this is disappointing, tradition must give way to safety. This decision is not only necessary to maintain the safety of our campus and students, but is consistent with the fundamental legal obligation – including the expectations of federal regulators – that universities act to protect students and keep our campus community safe. It applies the same values and criteria that we have used in the past to guide our actions.

How is the USC valedictorian selected?

As has been true throughout USC’s history, the Provost’s Office managed the process. The first step was the appointment of faculty members to the Valedictorian and Salutatorian Selection Committee. This year the Committee evaluated the nearly 100 applicants who applied for consideration based on their perfect or near-perfect GPAs.

The Valedictorian and Salutatorian Selection Committee assessed each based on various academic criteria, including the breadth of the applicant‘s academic program and quality of their essay submission. The factors do not include social media activity. USC’s Provost then considered the Committee’s recommendations and made the final decision.

Do USC students have other opportunities to speak at events during commencement week?

During commencement week we are hosting 38 ceremonies, five celebrations, and 65 receptions featuring dozens of student speakers and performers. Additional details are available on USC’s Commencement website. 

What is USC’s policy on freedom of expression?

USC has long had established policies protecting the free speech rights and academic freedom of faculty and students. USC is committed to fostering a learning environment where free inquiry and expression are encouraged and celebrated and for which all its members share responsibility. Dissent — disagreement, a difference of opinion, or thinking differently from others — is an integral aspect of expression in higher education. Students and student organizations are free to support causes by all orderly means which do not disrupt or substantially interfere with university activities, as such disruption or interference violates the responsible exercise of free inquiry and expression.

Throughout the 2023-2024 academic year, our campuses have been open for numerous expressions of free speech by students and student groups, including rallies and demonstrations that run the entire spectrum of social and political opinion.

At USC, we always put the safety of our community first. The university’s default position is to mitigate safety risks whenever possible to allow expression to flourish. This work is led by a multi-disciplinary team that includes Student Life, the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, the Office of Threat Assessment, the Department of Public Safety, and others. In very rare cases, when our safety experts judge that security risks are too high, the university has a responsibility to act to protect its students, faculty, staff and guests.

You can find more information on our website about USC’s Policy on Free Speech.

All other related topics

Please refer to USC’s Network of Informational and Support Resources in Times of Conflict.