Some students at the University of Minnesota Duluth are feeling discontent after the Kirby Student Center (KSC) posted photos on their Instagram and Facebook accounts depicting some students participating in a small in-person commencement ceremony on campus.

The posts, which were taken down by KSC around noon on Friday, showed an intimate ceremony in the Kirby Ballroom featuring students celebrating the closure of their college careers. Some students took photos with both Vice Chancellor for Student Life Lisa Erwin and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life Corbin Smyth.

“COOLEST THING,” KSC’s Facebook post began, saying the event was put together by Smyth and Erwin. “It was SO fun y’alls.”

The post noted that the ceremony was specific to UMD Student Association, Gamma Sigma Sigma and Omicron Delta Kappa, three student groups that Smyth advises.

“Every graduating senior is missing out on their college commencement,” graduating communication major Connor Kropp commented on KSC’s Facebook post. “Yet, these groups get special treatment essentially because they know the right people?”

Kropp called it a bad look, and called on KSC to “read the room.”

KSC Communications Director Mat Gilderman replied to Kropp’s comment from his personal account, saying that the post was supposed to be deleted.

“There was no malice in posting this,” Gilderman’s comment said. “We got caught up in being proud of these 22 students … and wanted to show their friends and family what they’ve done.”

KSC Director Jeni Eltink said that the building plays host to over 5,000 events over a normal school year, and that it is typical for KSC to post photos of events in their building, even if KSC is running the event.

“This is one of them that we posted on our social media,” Eltink said. “I don’t think we realized the ramifications of posting this particular event. And to the extent that that caused hurt and heartache in the student community, I am sorry for that.”

Kropp felt this was an appropriate response.

“It wasn’t ideal to post that, but they just posted about what they were sent,” Kropp said in an interview with The Bark.

In-Person, Virtual Commencements at UMD

In a late-March email to UMD students, faculty and staff, Chancellor Lendley Black announced the decision to hold UMD’s commencement virtually; however, the same email noted that some colleges and departments are exploring options for smaller, in-person ceremonies and to check UMD’s commencement website for updates.

Lynne Williams, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for UMD, said the ceremony in the Kirby Ballroom was one of eight smaller, in-person commencement ceremonies planned for the last two weeks of the school year.

The College of Liberal Arts’ drive-thru ceremony is the only additional ceremony listed on the commencement website, and Williams said that was on purpose.

“Some units chose not to promote them publicly,” Williams said, adding that some colleges or major groups wanted control of their own events.

Williams mentioned that the ceremony posted by KSC was one of the first, and likely got a lot of attention because KSC has a much higher social media presence than other departments or colleges around campus.

Multiple comments gathered from students on social media and through interviews used terms such as “special treatment” or “preferential treatment” to express their feelings.

Ultimately, it came down to each college, department or unit to decide how to proceed with commencement. The College of Liberal Arts, for example, announced their commencement in drive-thru fashion, while other units aimed for more private, in-person options. 

“It’s very disappointing and disheartening to be a student on the outside of this seeing other students get this opportunity,” Kropp said.

Williams said it's unfortunate that commencement events are inconsistent, and made clear that due to COVID-19, there are limitations and “the university recognizes that this is not ideal.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: THE FINAL SENTENCE OF THIS ARTICLE WAS UPDATED TO BETTER REFLECT WILLIAMS’ COMMENTS. THE PRIOR VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE MISTAKENLY APPLIED TWO STATEMENTS TO ONE IDEA.