Condoleezza Rice declines to speak at Rutgers after student protests

By Kristina Sguelglia, CNN

Updated 0601 GMT (1401 HKT) May 5, 2014

Author and HBO host Bill Maher is scheduled to be the commencement speaker at University of California, Berkeley in December 2014. <a href="https://www.change.org/p/university-of-california-berkeley-stop-bill-maher-from-speaking-at-uc-berkeley-s-december-graduation" target="_blank">A petition on Change.org</a> urges the school to cancel Maher's speech, calling Maher "a blatant bigot and racist." Here, Maher attends the Summer TCA Tour in 2011. Click through to see more of 2014's big-name commencement speakers.
Photos: 2014's big-name commencement speakers
2014's big-name commencement speakers – Author and HBO host Bill Maher is scheduled to be the commencement speaker at University of California, Berkeley in December 2014. A petition on Change.org urges the school to cancel Maher's speech, calling Maher "a blatant bigot and racist." Here, Maher attends the Summer TCA Tour in 2011. Click through to see more of 2014's big-name commencement speakers.
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The founders and co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave the commencement address at Stanford University on June 15. "Even in dire situations, optimism can fuel innovation and lead to new tools to eliminate suffering. But if you never really see the people who are suffering, your optimism can't help them. You will never change their world," Bill Gates told students.<br />
Photos: 2014's big-name commencement speakers
Bill and Melinda Gates – The founders and co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave the commencement address at Stanford University on June 15. "Even in dire situations, optimism can fuel innovation and lead to new tools to eliminate suffering. But if you never really see the people who are suffering, your optimism can't help them. You will never change their world," Bill Gates told students.
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The creator of "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy" spoke at Dartmouth College's commencement on June 8. "Whenever you see me somewhere succeeding in one area of my life, that almost certainly means I am failing in another area of my life," <a href="http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2014/06/10/pkg-shonda-rhimes-dartmouth-graduation-speech.wcax&video_referrer=">she told the graduates</a>. Rhimes is a 1991 graduate of the college.
Photos: 2014's big-name commencement speakers
Shonda Rhimes – The creator of "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy" spoke at Dartmouth College's commencement on June 8. "Whenever you see me somewhere succeeding in one area of my life, that almost certainly means I am failing in another area of my life," she told the graduates. Rhimes is a 1991 graduate of the college.
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Michael Bloomberg, center, gave <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/29/us/bloomberg-harvard-speech/index.html">the commencement speech at Harvard University on May 29, 2014</a>. Bloomberg, Aretha Franklin, left, and George H.W. Bush, right, also received honorary degrees. "This spring, it has been disturbing to see a number of college commencement speakers withdraw -- or have their invitations rescinded -- after protests from students and -- to me, shockingly -- from senior faculty and administrators who should know better," the businessman and former mayor of New York City said during his speech.<br />