Commencement

 

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Commencement

 

 

 

The Kresge College
Commencement Ceremony
will be held:

SATURDAY JUNE 13, 2009
UCSC East Field @ 5:00PM

Please check back here for more information.

Commencement

11 Steps Brochure | Faculty/TA Invite form

The Kresge College Commencement Ceremony
will be held:

SATURDAY JUNE 13, 2009
UCSC East Field @ 5:00PM

To participate in the commencment ceremony as a graduating senior, please follow these 11 steps.

The 11 Steps of Graduation:
Any updates or important notices will be sent to you via email and will also be posted here on this web site.

Step 1   Check your Degree Completion Requirements

Check in with your department adviser to make sure you have fulfilled your major requirements.

Check your Student Portal or meet with a Kresge Academic Adviser* to make sure you have satisfied all degree requirements. (General Education, Entry-Level Writing, and American History and Institutions requirements satisfied, completion of at least 180 credits, no more than 25% of your UCSC credits taken for P/NP, minimum 2.0 UC GPA, and 35 of last 45 credits taken at UCSC.) If you are not satisfying all degree requirements in the spring term, you will need to apply for your OFFICIAL degree in a later quarter. You may still participate in ceremonies as long as you complete all degree requirements by the end of fall 2009.

NOTE: Bachelor Degree Requirements can be found at http://reg.ucsc.edu/Navigator

* To make an appointment with a Kresge Academic Adviser, call: 831-459-2071

Step 2   Declare your intentions; Apply to graduate from UCSC

If you are planning to complete requirements and graduate in 2009, you must :

If you are currently enrolled and you have not previously applied to graduate, you may apply on-line via MyUCSC.

If you have applied to graduate in a previous term or cannot access the Apply to Graduate link via MyUCSC, please refer to the information and application form online at: http://reg.ucsc.edu/graduation_announcerequest.htm
  
If you live outside of Santa Cruz County you can request a form be sent to you via U.S. mail at: 
http://reg.ucsc.edu/students/announcerequest/announcerequest.cfm

You may apply for graduation online beginning on the first day of the quarter in which you plan to complete all requirements. The deadlines for applying are as follows:

The deadlines for announcing candidacy are as follows:
            Spring 2009                 April 29
            Summer 2009              July 31                 

If you miss these deadlines but apply for graduation before the end of the term, you will be required to pay a late fee and your record might not be reviewed for honors at your College Commencement.  You may also choose to apply for graduation for the following term – talk with a Kresge Academic Adviser if you have questions.

Note: Applying to graduate through the Student Portal DOES NOT SIGN YOU UP to participate in the Kresge Commencement Ceremony (see Step 3). 

Step 3   Fill out our Commencement Participation Form for Kresge College

To participate in the 2009 Kresge College Commencement Ceremony you must:

2009 Kresge Participant Deadline: Wednesday, April 29th

PLEASE NOTE: If you are listed as NRI (Non-Release of Information), we will need you to sign a one-time release form to include your name in the Kresge Commencement Program, in accordance with federal and state regulations. Please come to the Programs Office with a photo I.D. by the deadline.

Step 4   Is there anything we need to know about your guests?

If you, your parents, relatives, or friends are hearing impaired and can benefit from an American Sign Language interpreter or are physically challenged and have special accessibility needs you must:

Step 5   Be a vital member of the 2009 Commencement Committee

Wonder who the keynote speaker will be? Have some ideas of students who would be good senior speakers? Do you have artistic ideas for the cover of the graduation program?   If you answered yes to any of these questions or are simply intrigued, join the Commencement Committee and actually organize your Kresge ceremony!  

The committee consists of Provost Juan Poblete, College Programs Coordinator Pam Ackerman and any interested graduating seniors.  The first meeting will be in the Kresge Student Lounge on Tuesday - February 10, 2009 - 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  Just show up!

If you miss the Feb. 10th meeting, you may still contact the College Programs Office and sign up to be on the committee and get our meeting emails.

Step 6   Want to be a Senior Speaker?

If you are interested in presenting a speech, poem, story, or performance at the Commencement Ceremony, you must:

Step 7   Invite your Favorite Professor or Teaching Assistant

Invite a faculty member to attend the ceremony. They can be shy but there is no reason why they cannot come and be a part of this celebration, your invitation will help!  Please fill out the Favorite Faculty or Teaching Assistant Invitation Form and submit it to the Kresge College office by 4:00pm Friday, April 3, 2009. The form is available online until Friday, April 3rd on the Online Registration Form.

Step 8   Honor those individuals who make Kresge great!

College Commendations are awards for individuals who have worked to improve the quality of community life at Kresge. Please nominate a graduating senior, staff and faculty member for the 2009 College Commendation Awards presented during our ceremony.

Step 9   Visit the Graduation Center in the Bay Tree Bookstore

NOTE: The Bookstore hosts a one-week Grad. Center Opening Sale April 13-17. With the purchase of announcements, the diploma frames, license frames and other graduation memorabilia are at a significant savings. There will also be photographer on site 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. with regalia. This free sitting with optional purchase allows you to include photos in your announcements. You may also use the Bay Tree Bookstore website as these items are available on-line. (no sale pricing on-line)  http://slugstore.ucsc.edu - Graduation tab

Step 10   Pick up your Parking Passes

Each graduate will be given ONLY 2 parking passes for the day so you will need to squeeze, carpool, take the bus, walk or be creative, if you have a large group.  Parking passes will be available for pick up starting Friday, May 1st, 2009 and everyday there after in the College Programs Office from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 
Parking on Commencement Day will be in the East Remote Parking Lot with shuttle service up to the East Field. Again no tickets required but only two cars per graduate.
NOTE: Regular parking passes are not valid over commencement weekend.
PLEASE DO NOT ask for special parking privileges on Commencement Day

Step 11   Don't Forget the Kresge Rehearsal

Due to the number of people involved, the complexity of the ceremony and the need to start on time, a brief (45 min.) Commencement rehearsal will be held on Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. at the UCSC East Field Commencement tent. We will go through the ceremony procedures and answer any last minute questions. Any remaining parking passes will also be available at the end of the rehearsal. (Those students with conflicting class schedules may request written ceremony instructions from the Programs Office.)

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Parking

Parking will be very tight. Parking officials will direct cars to East Remote where shuttles will be available to transport people from the parking lot to the East Field. You and your guests may also walk up the hill to the East Field area. (The East Field House parking lot is VIP and handicapped parking only.) For graduates with large groups, we advise parking at the base of campus and carpooling up to the East Field. Please allow enough time for long traffic delays and one-way road traffic control.

Accessibility Information for East Field Commencement Ceremonies

There are several parking options available for those with mobility or stamina impairments. The easiest and most direct option is to use the commencement shuttle service; it runs from the East Remote parking lot to the ceremony site on the East Field. The East Field is flat and grassy. Student staff will be available on site with wheelchairs to assist guests from the shuttle drop off to the audience seats.

Those using a wheelchair or other motorized device or those for whom ascending two steps into a shuttle vehicle is problematic, should request a disabled commencement parking pass. This will allow you to park in the East Field House lot and board a lift-equipped shuttle to the ceremony site on the East Field. As these shuttles can only carry a few people at a time, we suggest that those who need to ride these shuttles have one person from their party accompany them; the rest of their party can walk the short distance to the ceremony site.

Graduation Photos

Professional photographers have been contracted to take three individual photographs of each graduate, two before you walk up on the stage AND another as you receive your scroll from the Provosts on stage.  Within days of commencement you will receive “proofs” at no cost or obligation to buy by email.  Only after seeing the proofs do you decide to place an order. 

Dinner Reservations for Local Restaurants

Restaurants are going to be very busy during commencement weekend. BE PROACTIVE and make your reservations earlier rather than later. Call your favorite restaurant and find out when they will begin accepting reservations for that weekend. Commencement is scheduled for ninety minutes. Pease make your reservation time late enough to account for congratulations, last good-byes, getting back to your car and heavy traffic. A useful website is http://www.scccvc.org/lodg-dine/lodg-dine.shtml

Hotel Reservations for Family and Friends

Again, local hotels are going to be full commencement weekend. Making your reservations in advance will help to guarantee that your guests will have a convenient place to rest their heads Saturday night. It is not too early to start calling NOW! A useful website is http://www.scccvc.org/lodg-dine/lodg-dine.shtml

Contact information

All updates will be posted on the web and sent to you via email.  If you still cannot find the information you are looking for or have additional questions please contact the Kresge College Programs Office at 831.459.3925 or the College Programs Coordinator, Pam Ackerman, at pjack(at)ucsc.edu.

 

The deadline for Kresge College Registration to participate in the June Ceremony was:

April 25, 2008

If you missed this date, you can still be a part of Kresge's 2008 Commencement Ceremony.

You must come into the College Programs Office to sign-up.

Commencement Parking Passes
Parking Passes are now available in the Programs Office next to the Owl’s Nest Café at Town Hall. Office hours are 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. weekdays. Each registered graduate is issued 2 passes only for the Kresge College Commencement. (There is no limit on the number of guests.) Please note: Regular campus parking passes will not be honored on Commencement weekend.

Ceremony Rehearsal
Kresge Rehearsal is Thursday, June 12 – 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. on the East Field under the audience tents. We will go through the ceremony procedures and answer any last minute questions. Anyone with extra parking passes is encouraged to bring them to the rehearsal for use by other fellow graduates.

Ceremony Regalia
Regalia for the ceremony may be rented at the bookstore (http://slugstore.ucsc.edu) in person or on line through Friday, June 6th. Regalia pick up is at Bay Tree Bookstore Monday, June 9 – Sunday, June 15. There will also be a professional photographer available for free sittings - June 9-13, 10:00 - 4:00 p.m. The regalia is traditional black with a gold and blue 2008 tassel. The undergraduate cap and tassel are yours to keep, gowns must be returned either at the ceremony or to the bookstore by Monday, June 16.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is there a limit on the number of guests? - NO
UC Santa Cruz recognizes that our students reach commencement day because of the support of many individuals. Therefore, we do not limit how many people each graduate can invite to the ceremony. However, there is a limit on how many cars can come to campus; each graduate will receive 2 parking passes for commencement day.

Is there a limit for parking? - YES
UC Santa Cruz hosts 10 commencement ceremonies on campus over the 2-day commencement weekend. We appreciate the efforts of all of our guests in following parking rules and restrictions so we can continue to accommodate so many visitors in such a short space of time. Each graduating senior is allocated 2 parking passes for commencement day. Kresege seniors who are registered to participate in Kresge's ceremony may pick up their parking passes at the Kresge Programs Office beginning April 25. All guests must have a UCSC Commencement parking pass; read below for information about disabled parking. Guests are encouraged to carpool or use public transit to get to campus. Shuttling guests to campus works well too; free campus shuttles from the base of campus will be available all weekend.
Oversized Vehicles - Some people choose to rent limos or busses to transport family members to the ceremony. Oversize vehicles maybe used for dropping guests off at the East Remote Parking Lot but will be required to park in the Barn Theatre Lot at the base of campus.

Is the ceremony site accessible for those with disabilities? - YES
Commencement parking is in the East Remote Parking Lot. This lot will be served by campus shuttles for those who cannot or do not wish to make the short walk to the ceremony. These shuttles are not wheelchair lift equipped but are suggested for everyone else, regardless of physical ability. All shuttles drop off at the same place on the East Field. The only benefit of a disabled parking pass is a wheelchair-lift-equipped shuttle. The ceremony site on the East Field is flat and grassy. Students will be available to assist guests across the field if necessary.
Persons requiring a wheelchair-lift-equipped shuttle should request a commencement day disabled parking pass and park in the East Filed House Lot. (Follow signs for the disabled parking area which is past the East Remote Lot.) Graduates must request a disabled commencement parking pass for this lot when picking up their parking passes. Kresge College has a limited number of parking passes for this lot; they are not in addition to the 2 passes per graduate mentioned above.
Please do not try to enter the handicapped lot on Commencement day unless you have a disability parking pass.
There is shaded seating for those with sun or heat sensitivities.

How long is the ceremony? – 90 minutes
The ceremony is scheduled to begin promptly at 5:00 p.m. and last one and one-half hours. If you are considering dinner afterwards, it is never too soon to make your reservations for this popular weekend.

Will I be able to get close to the stage to take a picture as my student walks across? - NO
As in past years, Chappell Studios, a professional commercial photographer, has been contracted to take individual photographs of the graduates as each receives a commemorative scroll. Within 10 days after commencement, students will receive a "proof," at no cost or obligation to buy. The photographer has also been hired to take a posed picture of each graduate in their cap and gown before they walk on to the stage.

Is there a different location if it is raining? - NO
UCSC does not have indoor facilities to accommodate students and their guests (even if guest attendance were very limited). Therefore, all ceremonies scheduled for the East Field will happen RAIN OR SHINE. Graduates and guests should be prepared for any weather we may have the evening of commencement.

Is there a reception afterwards? - No
The 2008 student Commencement Committee voted to not host a reception on the East Field after the ceremony because the majority of attendees are eager to get off campus and downtown for dinner reservations and private gatherings. Water is available at the ceremony site.

 

For a better idea of what the ceremony will look like:

 

Contact Information
If you have any additional questions please contact the Kresge College Programs Office at 831-459-3925. Office hours are 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. weekdays.

Pam Ackerman – College Programs Coordinator – pjack@ucsc.edu
Chris Yang – Assistant College Programs Coordinator – cyang@ucsc.edu

We look forward to celebrating with you on Saturday, June 14th!