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Commencement Guide

Step 1: Register for Stevenson Commencement, ASAP

To participate in the Stevenson Commencement Ceremony and/or have your name listed in the commencement program, you must register on-line no later than Friday, May 10. Registration opens on February 15. Stevenson students who plan to complete graduation requirements in 2018 are eligible to participate in the June ceremony. If you register after May 10, your name will not be guaranteed in the program.

Step 2: Check Your "Public Information" Status

All students have a “Public Information” status (a.k.a. Directory Restriction, FERPA or NRI) with the Office of the Registrar. The status of your personal information is currently set as either “Releasable” or “Restricted.”  If your status is set to “restricted”, the University may not release any information about you. Some students set their status to “RESTRICTED” without being aware of the implications. It is imperative that you check and confirm your status.

  • If your status is set to “RESTRICTED” as of May 11 Stevenson is required by law to NOT print your name in the print program, regardless of your wishes.
  • If your status is set to “RELEASABLE” as of May 11 we can and will print your name in the program, provided you have registered via Step 2. 

Check your my.ucsc.edu portal to update. If you have special circumstances and wish to retain a “restricted” status but also wish to have your name printed in the program, please contact stgrad@ucsc.edu. For detailed instructions on how to change the options, please click here.

 

Step 3: Speaker Nomination, due by April 26

To nominate a student speaker for Commencement, fill out your Stevenson Commencement Registration Form by April 26 at noon. Feel free to nominate yourself! Draft speeches are due May 6 by 5:00PM to stgrad@ucsc.edu.  Speeches should be no longer than 5 minutes.

  • Oral presentation: May 14–18  
  • Selection completed by May 25

Step 4: Order Announcements & Caps/Gowns, April 16 - June 7

Order announcements, caps, gowns, hoods and other items at the Bay Tree Bookstore Grad Center between Tuesday, April 16 and Friday, June 7. You may order many items at the Bookstore website by following the Commencement link.

You are strongly advised to order your announcements at least five weeks ahead of Commencement to receive them on time. Wearing a cap, gown and hood IS REQUIRED to participate in the Stevenson Commencement!

Grad Fair: April 16–19: Special vendors, lowest prices on caps, gowns and hoods.

Step 5: Disability Accommodation Requests, by May 4

Students: please communicate pertinent information to your guests so they can plan accordingly. This allows all guests to fully enjoy the celebratory day. Thank you! Email stgrad@ucsc.edu with accommodation requests as soon as possible so we can do everything to allow all guests to participate fully. 

DISABILITY LOT PARKING PERMIT

Each student registered for the Stevenson ceremony can pick up their two parking passes from the College College beginning Monday, June 3. Students may swap out one or both of these event parking permits for a disability lot parking permit by making a request on the registration form.

The only benefit of a disability permit is that this part of the lot is serviced by UCSC vans that have wheelchair-lift capabilities. Please obtain a disability permit only if your guest will benefit because they:

  • Use a wheelchair or electric scooter, or
  • Are physically unable to board the steps up into a campus shuttle, or
  • Will be driving themselves and are unable to walk from a parked car in East Remote to the internal shuttle stop (those that are not driving themselves can be dropped at the internal shuttle stop and wait while the driver parks).

Guests with a regular commencement permit can shuttle from East Remote and will disembark in the same location as the vans from disability parking. The wait for a shuttle from East Remote is significantly shorter than the wait at the disability lot (because there are far more shuttles than disability vans), which is why a disability lot permit should only be acquired in the above circumstances. Thank you!

CROSSING THE FIELD FROM THE SHUTTLE/VAN DROP

All guests, whether disembarking from a UCSC shuttle or UCSC disability van, will cross from the edge of the playing field out to the audience seating area (~70 yards). Guests wishing assistance may visit the attendant at the tent marked "Disability Support" near the shuttle/van drop; the attendant will have a wheelchair available and will use it to assist guests to the audience section. Please let your guests know of this resource.

The wheelchair is available only to transport guests to/from the seating area and/or restroom and cannot be left with any one guest (it is needed to support all attendees). If your guest will need use of a wheelchair for more than transport to/from the seating area, they should arrive with their own wheelchair. Wheelchairs may be available for rent from local pharmacies. Restrooms are ~150 yards from the audience seating area.

SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION 

American Sign Language interpretation will be provided at all commencement ceremonies this year.

QUESTIONS OR OTHER ACCOMMODATION RELATED NEEDS

Please contact us (stgrad@ucsc.edu) if you have a request or concern not addressed on this page.

Step 6: Communicate Regularly with your Guests

Keep your guests updated about important information such as:

  • Who is holding the assigned tickets, required for entry to the ceremony site.
  • How to prepare, so as to ensure comfort during this midday ceremony (i.e. wearing sunscreen, bringing a water bottle, dressing appropriately for the weather, etc.).
  • Travel directions.
  • What to expect upon arriving on campus, (see Parking and Campus Shuttle sections, below).
  • Guest seating does not begin until 12:30PM as another ceremony precedes ours.
  • Guests need to have one of your two parking permits on their dashboard in order to park on campus

        (parking is extremely limited as several commencements occur on Sunday).

  •  The general flow and timeline of day's activities.
  •  The details of any requests for disability accommodations you have made on their behalf.

Step 7: Pick up Two Commencement Parking Permits, June 3-7 and June 10–14

Pick up your two parking permits from the Stevenson College Office between Monday, June 3 through Friday, June 7 and Monday, June 10 through Friday, June 14 (9:00AM – 4:00PM). Bring photo ID. Only graduates who have registered online for Commencement will be issued permits.

Parking: Commencement Weekend

Your guests should place a permit on their dashboard and follow instructions from the police and TAPS staff. Parking officials will direct cars to the appropriate lot, from which guests may shuttle or walk to the East Field ceremony site. You will need to come in person with photo ID to pick yours up - they are that much of a commodity! The Stevenson lots will not be available for parking, so make sure you have someone drop you off at the Health Center parking lot no later than 12:30PM (or take the bus).

Visit the TAPS page for the complete guide to transport and parking on commencement, including maps.

Step 8: Pick Up Regalia, starting June 10

Caps, gowns and hoods that have been ordered (see Step 4) will be distributed at the Bay Tree Bookstore, 2nd floor, beginning Monday, June 10.

 

Step 9: Commencement Day Ceremony, Saturday, June 15, 1:30PM - grads arrive NO LATER than 12:00PM to the East Field House!

Graduates arrive at the East Field House for check in at 12:00PM (it really DOES require about an hour to sign-in and line up). The procession begins marching at 1:15PM.

NOTE: Although the ceremony begins at 1:30PM, graduates must arrive at the East Field House to check in between Noon - 1:00PM.

*Guest seating does not begin until 12:30PM, as another ceremony precedes ours.

*Graduates are not allowed to bring bags and purses on the field. Leave bags at home. 

Admission Tickets for Guests

Tickets are required for entry to the ceremony site, and must be distributed to your guests before they attempt to enter the ceremony site. 6 tickets will be allotted to each registered graduates for their chosen ceremony.

Commencement Photos

As guests may not approach the stage to take photographs of their grads, professional photographers will be present, taking close-up, individual photographs of each graduate as they walk across the stage and receives a scroll from the provost. Within two weeks of Commencement you will receive a "proof" via email, at no cost or obligation to buy (sent to the address you provide on the online Commencement Registration form). For more details visit the Best Grad website.

Academic Honors and the Commencement Ceremony

Several types of academic honors are included in the printed Commencement program. These include  departmental honors (Honors and Highest Honors in the Major), the Deans and Chancellor's Undergraduate Awards, and Phi Beta Kappa.

For honors to be printed and/or announced they must be submitted to the Programs Office directly from the unit awarding the honors - deadlines for inclusion have been communicated to the academic units. All departmental honors we receive by the print deadline are included in the program. If you have questions regarding your departmental honors status, please contact your department directly.

The Alumni Network

When you graduate, you will join a powerful network of more than 114,000 Banana Slug alumni. As UC Santa Cruz embarks on our next 50 years, all benefits and services through the Alumni Network are completely FREE. To access these services, make sure to update your post-graduation contact information, including your email and city, to receive information about alumni events near you, networking opportunities, services, and discounts for alumni. Update your contact information at alumni.ucsc.edu, and explore the page to learn more about the programs and services available to you.