Pomp and Decorum: Colleges Say No to Graduation 'Selfies'

Ellen DeGeneres snapped "selfies" at the Oscars and President Barack Obama posed for one at Nelson Mandela's funeral, but some U.S. colleges have asked students to keep their cell phones tucked away during graduation season this month when they walk on stage for their diplomas.

Officials at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, one of several colleges trying to limit the spontaneous self-portraits that proliferate social media sites, said they asked graduates to preserve decorum at its May 17 commencement.

A handful of students drew laughs - and caught administrators by surprise - when they whipped out their smartphones for selfies on stage at last year's graduation, said university relations director Elizabeth O'Neil.

With 758 students due to graduate this month, the school decided to take action before things got carried away.

"We didn't want the ceremony to become longer than the 3 -1/2 hours it already is by having students pause to take photos," O'Neil said.

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