U of A changes God reference in convocation speech

The University of Alberta has a new convocation charge after a group of campus atheists and agnostics challenged the reference to God in the speech.

On Monday, the university's general faculties council voted in favour of new wording that scales back the role of God.

71 council members voted in favour of the proposal, 17 voted against it, and 10 people abstained.

The original charge, which isdelivered to students by the university's chancellorduringconvocation ceremonies, called on students to use their degrees for "the glory of God."

But some students lobbied the university to remove that phrase because they felt it discriminated against atheists and agnostics.

The new charge tells students who believe to "serve your God."

"I find this to be an acceptable compromise,"said Ian Bushfield, president of University of Alberta Atheists and Agnostics.

"I think most people saw this as a reasonable compromise. The administration definitely did, and I think it's something that's an improvement over what we had."

The new convocation charge will be read for the first time at convocation ceremonies this spring.

Bushfield said he no longer plans on boycotting his own convocation.