USC announced Thursday that it would be canceling its main stage commencement ceremony following Wednesday’s pro-Palestine protest that ended with 93 people arrested. However, the university confirmed that individual school ceremonies will still happen, though they will now require reserved tickets and have increased safety precautions.
The school’s announcement comes less than a month after it was revealed valedictorian Asna Tabassum would not be allowed to speak at commencement, violating a long held USC tradition.
Graduation weekend is set to kick off on May 8 with hooding ceremonies followed by recognition and awards ceremonies on May 9 and graduation ceremonies on May 10-11. A full schedule can be found here.
Here’s how 19 schools are handling their satellite ceremony:
USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Tennis legend Billie Jean King is scheduled to serve as USC Annenberg’s 2024 commencement speaker. King, a champion for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, is credited with popularizing women’s tennis.
The Annenberg School ceremony is set to begin at 11 a.m. in McCarthy Quad.
USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Alumnus Jaren Lewison, who starred in Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever,” is set to deliver the commencement speech for Dornsife. Lewinson graduated from Dornsife in 2022 with a degree in psychology.
The Dornsife College School ceremonies are set to begin at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. at Allyson Felix Field.
USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance
Phil Chan has been named the 2024 commencement speaker for Kaufman. Chan is a co-founder of “Yellowface,” an organization that aims to improve Asian representation in the performing arts, and president of the Gold Standard Arts Foundation, which supports Asians working in dance.
The Kaufman School ceremony is set to begin at 11 a.m. in Founders Park.
USC Gould School of Law
Goodwin Liu, associate justice of the California Supreme Court, is set to deliver USC Gould School of Law’s 2024 commencement speech. Liu grew up in Sacramento and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Stanford, a master’s degree in philosophy and physiology from Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, and a law degree from Yale.
The Gould School Undergraduate and J.D. ceremony is set to begin at 11:30 a.m. on the USC Village Great Lawn.
USC School of Dramatic Arts
Liza Colón-Zayas and Anthony Sparks are set to give the 2024 USC School of Dramatic Arts commencement speeches.
Colón-Zayas is celebrated for her role as Tina Marrero in the award-winning FX series “The Bear,” and boasts an impressive career adorned with 10 Emmy awards.
Sparks holds a BFA degree in theater and an M.A. and Ph.D degrees in American Studies & Ethnicity from the University of Southern California. The Sparks DEI Center at USC School of Dramatic Arts, named for Sparks and his wife, reflects his commitment to advancing representation in theater, film and television.
The School of Dramatic Arts has two ceremonies at Bing Theatre: A ceremony for B.A. graduates is set to begin at 11 a.m. and a ceremony for B.F.A. and M.F.A. graduates is set to begin at 3 p.m.
USC Sol Price School of Public Policy
Maria Rosario Jackson, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, is set to deliver the 2024 keynote commencement speech at USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. Jackson holds a Master of Public Administration from Price and has made history as the first African American and the first Mexican American woman to serve as chair of the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Price School ceremony is set to begin at 11 a.m. in the Shrine Auditorium.
USC Iovine and Young Academy
Alexis Ohanian, founder of Seven Seven Six, co-founder and the former executive chairman of Reddit and husband to tennis star Serena Williams, is set to deliver the keynote address at USC Iovine and Young Academy’s commencement ceremony.
The 2024 USC Iovine and Young Academy satellite commencement ceremony is set to take place at 11:30 a.m. in Bovard Auditorium.
USC Leventhal School of Accounting
Karen Schoenbaum, executive vice president and CFO of American Business Bank, is set to deliver the commencement speech for USC Leventhal School of Accounting. She received her BA in Business, a Certificate in Computer Science, and a Master’s in Accounting from the Leventhal School of Accounting.
The Leventhal School ceremony is set to begin at 11 a.m. at Brittingham Field.
USC Marshall School of Business
Byron Allen, chairman and CEO of Allen Media Group, is set to deliver the USC Marshall School of Business commencement speech. Allen Media Group owns 28 network affiliate broadcast television stations.
The Marshall School ceremonies are set to begin at 1 p.m. in Alumni Park.
USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
USC alumnus Bryant Edwards has been named the 2024 commencement speaker for the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Edwards is the executive director of rehabilitation and professional services at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
The Chan Division ceremony is set to begin at 6 p.m. at Brittingham Field.
USC School of Architecture
Annie Chu, an award-winning architect and designer, has been named the commencement speaker for the USC School of Architecture. Chu has worked on museums, arts facilities and educational institutions.
The Architecture School ceremony is set to begin at 2:30 p.m. at Epstein Family Plaza (E-Quad).
USC School of Cinematic Arts
Miky Lee, vice chair of the Korean media giant CJ, was chosen to give the commencement speech for the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Lee played a prominent role in the rise of Korean movies, executive producing movies such as Lady Vengeance, The Host, Snowpiercer, The Handmaiden, and Parasite.
The Cinematic Arts School ceremony is set to begin at 2:30 p.m. in the Shrine Auditorium.
USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
Author and advocate David Ambroz, co-founder of nonprofit Fostermore, is set to deliver the keynote address at USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work’s 2024 commencement ceremony.
The Dworak Peck School ceremony is set to take place at 6:30 p.m. at Allyson Felix Field.
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Karen Dahut, the CEO of Google Public Sector (GPS), has been named the keynote speaker for the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Dahut received a master’s degree in systems management from Viterbi. She has worked to bring Google technology to U.S. public sector institutions.
The undergraduate school ceremony is set to take place at 11:30 a.m. at the Galen Center.
USC Thornton School of Music
Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Kali Uchis and Pulitzer-Prize-winning composer Michael Abels are this year’s commencement speakers for the USC Thornton School of Music. Uchis is known for songs such as “Moonlight,” “Telepatía” and “Melting.” Michael Abels is an American composer and arranger who specializes in concert orchestral music.
The Thornton School ceremony is set to begin at 11 a.m. on Pardee Way.
USC Roski School of Art and Design
Annenberg Media does not yet have any information on the 2024 commencement speaker for USC Roski School of Art and Design.
The Roski School Ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m. in the Ronald Tutor Center Campus Ballroom.
USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Academy Award-winning actor, filmmaker, and philanthropist Sean Penn will deliver the keynote speech for the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences’ commencement on Saturday, May 11. Outside of the film industry, Penn is the co-founder and chairman of the global humanitarian nonprofit organization CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort).
The Mann School ceremony begins at 10:00 a.m. in McCarthy Quad on May 11th.
USC Bovard College
Annenberg Media does not yet have any information on the 2024 commencement speaker for USC Bovard College.
The Bovard College School ceremony is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. in Epstein Family Plaza (E-Quad).
Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy
The USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy has named Alan Jette, PT, PhD, MPH, the keynote speaker for its commencement ceremony. Jette was the first physical therapist to be elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
The Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy Division ceremony is set to begin at 3 p.m. in Bovard Auditorium.