The University of Maryland, College Park will retain its tradition of offering a prayer before its commencement exercises, university President C.D. Mote Jr. said Thursday. His decision to maintain the two-minute prayer and moment of silence runs counter to a recommendation this week from the University Senate, which voted 32-14 to stop it. The Senate is composed of students, faculty and staff, and advises Mote on major issues. Senators had said the prayer was noninclusive and not appropriate for a public institution. But in a statement, Mote said, "For many people, a prayer of gratitude and a moment of reflection are an important part of our commencement tradition."