"Having George Will speak at commencement does not mean I or Michigan State University agree with or endorse the statements he made in his June 6 column or any particular column he has written," Simon said in the statement. "It does not mean the university wishes to cause survivors of sexual assault distress. And it does not mean we are backing away from our commitment to continuously improving our response to sexual assault."

Although Will was initially chosen in the spring, before the controversial column was published, Simon defended the decision to keep Will as a speaker because universities like MSU are "committed to serving the public good by creating space for discourse and exchange of ideas, though that exchange may be uncomfortable and will sometimes challenge values and beliefs."

As graduation day approaches, the number of student organizations opposing the columnist's planned speech has grown. 

On Sunday, the Council of Graduate Students passed a resolution in a special meeting opposing Will and offered to help the university find a replacement speaker. On Tuesday night, ASMSU representatives will be convening to consider a similar measure. 

The opposition has also gained significant momentum online. A petition on the activism site UltraViolet has gained more than 40,000 signatures, the website announced in a statement. Protestors will be marching from the Union to the Hannah Administration Building on Wednesday to deliver the signatures and hold a "sit-in and speak out on rape" in front of the building.

While Simon refrained from outright condemning Will's statements, which referred to being a victim of sexual assault in college as a "coveted status that confers privileges," other senior university officials have not tread as lightly.

On the Facebook event page of a planned protest of Will's speech at commencement, which more than 700 people have said they will attend, the director of the MSU Alumni Association Scott Westerman said the association condemns Will's statements "in the strongest possible terms," and looked to use his appearance to raise money for MSU's Sexual Assault Program.

Simon also used the statement as an opportunity to put a spotlight on MSU's efforts to combat sexual assault, and emphasized Will's planned honorarium does not signal a shift.

"We will continue to bring the issue into the light," Simon said. "Nothing changes that."

She also announced MSU's forthcoming report on sexual assault would be release Tuesday. Check statenews.com for a breakdown of the report when it is released.