Condoleezza Rice , former US secretary of state announced on Facebook Saturday that she would not be speaking at the Rutgers University commencement this year , following student protests against her appearance . The students made accusations against her in connection with the war in Iraq . `` Commencement should be a time of joyous celebration for the graduates and their families , '' Rice wrote . `` Rutgers ' invitation to me to speak has become a distraction for the university community at this very special time . '' In an open letter to the president of the school , printed in the student paper The Daily Targum on April 30th , `` Rutgers Student Protestors '' cited `` destruction '' in Iraq `` at the hands of the Bush administration . '' `` Rice signed off to give the CIA authority to conduct their torture tactics for gathering information from detainees as well , '' the letter continues . `` These are clearly human rights issues . By inviting her to speak and awarding her an honorary degree , we are encouraging and perpetuating a world that justifies torture and debases humanity . '' In 2009 , a Senate intelligence report said that Rice approved waterboarding in the questioning of a suspected al Qaeda leader . Rice was National Security Adviser at the time . In publicized minutes of the February New Brunswick Faculty Council Meeting , Robert Boikess presented and moved for adoption a Resolution in Opposition to Condoleezza Rice as Commencement Speaker . `` Everything started blowing up when faculty council released their opposition , '' the editor in chief of The Daily Targum Alexandra R. Meier told CNN Saturday . In an article published Monday , Lin Lan , a staff writer for the school paper , called the 50 plus student sit in at the President 's office one of the largest sit ins in Rutgers history . Police , Lan wrote , were called to the scene after a glass door was shattered . In an article published in the school paper Friday , staff writers Lan and Lidia De Los Santos said nearly 100 students gathered at the student center during a senate meeting that day to question the university president . President Robert Barchi posted a statement Saturday on the school website in response to Rice . `` While Rutgers University stands fully behind the invitation to Dr. Rice to be our commencement speaker and receive an honorary degree , we respect her decision not to participate in the upcoming Rutgers University commencement , which she clearly articulated in her statement this morning . '' Rice wrote Saturday `` I am honored to have served my country . I have defended America 's belief in free speech and the exchange of ideas . These values are essential to the health of our democracy . But that is not what is at issue here . As a Professor for thirty years at Stanford University and as its former Provost and Chief academic officer , I understand and embrace the purpose of the commencement ceremony and I am simply unwilling to detract from it in any way . '' `` We did not see this coming at all '' the Meier told CNN Saturday night . She said that the feeling on campus is not one of relief . `` From my personal social media people are upset that the protest led to her declining her invitation ... and I have seen a petition to get her back . ''
Rutgers ' president ' stands fully behind the president ' but ' respects ' her decision . Protesters protest the war in Iraq and ' torture journalists ' for gathering information . Rice calls invitation ' a distraction for the university community at this very special time ' Some are upset by the protests and want Rice to resign , student news editor says .