Copyright© 2007 by School Services of California, Inc.

                                      Volume 20                   For Publication Date: June 22, 2007             No. 14

University of California, Riverside Cancels
Commencement under Threats 

After receiving several threats and finding two homemade firebombs, officials at the University of California, Riverside canceled the Friday night graduation ceremony for the College of Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences. 

According to the university, the firebombs were discovered early Friday at the site of a tree fire close to the site for the commencement. Later threats about the commencement appeared in a letter also found on campus. 

Campus officials increased security measures for the rescheduled commencement—no backpacks, camera bags or wrapped gifts were allowed. UC Riverside Chancellor France Cordova made the following statement, “We’re sorry for the inconvenience these students faced due to the cancellation on Friday. I regret that some of the students and their family members were unable to attend today's events.” The Friday night commencement was rescheduled to Monday morning June 18th. All other graduation commencements for the university continued on their regularly scheduled date. 

The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world.

—Jamillah Moore, Ed.D.