The department ceremonies are back. We won because we refused to accept the change. Stay involved.
May 16, 2016
Final supporters
FOR ALL CONCERNED: There will be a commencement meeting March 28th at 10am in the UPD conference room. Please attend if you would like to voice your concerns about the larger commencement ceremonies as well as their impact on the department ceremonies.
*UPDATE: It has been confirmed with Vice President Keith Humphrey's office that there will still be name reading at the larger commencement ceremonies, but some departments are choosing to hold department commencement ceremonies with name reading as well. Check with your specific department to find out if your department will be holding a department commencement ceremony.
If you are a Cal Poly graduating senior in spring of 2016, you may have received an email from your department regarding this spring's commencement ceremonies. This email regarding Spring 2016 Commencement announced changes to the previous order of graduation. In the email, it states that "this year there are no separate departmental ceremonies." Why is this important? This means there will no longer be a small ceremony for each major that allows family and friends the opportunity to gather close and celebrate with you as you walk across the stage for graduation. With the new changes (made without the total consent of us, the graduating seniors) our families and friends will be lost in a crowd of on-lookers in the stands, the lengthy ceremony will force graduates to sit and wait while hundreds or thousands more graduates from multiple colleges and majors walk across the stage, and we will be limited to only ten tickets per graduate for our families and friends. On a day meant to celebrate us, the graduating seniors and our hard-earned accomplishments, we should be the priority not the afterthought. Let's come together and voice our concerns to change 2016 Spring Commencement to once again include individual department ceremonies, in the best interest of every graduating senior.
Updates
February 25, 2016
100 signatures on the board. This is just the beginning.
Reached 1,000 supporters
February 23, 2016
Reached 100 supporters
February 23, 2016
205 Comments
At my daughter's high school graduation of 3000, I never was able to even get a glimpse of her during the ceremony due to the number of people present. I was looking forward to actually being able to "see" her graduate college. This news is very disappointing. Please teconsider.
The department ceremony was what made graduation this past June memorable. It was personal, casual, and a lot of fun. There was time to say goodbye to professors and walk across the stage with friends. I would not have changed a thing. I sincerely hope Cal Poly reconsiders this decision.
As a graduate and then CP lecturer for 20 years I have attended small graduations more than 30 times over the years. This is the ceremony that students and parents cherish. Get rid of the large ceremony!
Please bring back department graduation ceremonies for spring 2016. Some of our older family members can't physically attend in the larger stadium-too crowded, steep stairs, temperature issues in full sun, etc. Thank you!
When you go to a state university it is easy to feel lost in a crowd, but your department oftentimes becomes your family. Department graduation ceremonies are important because it decreases the former and encourages the latter.
I was counting on the department ceremony so my whole family could participate!
I feel strongly about this.
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The department ceremonies are back. We won because we refused to accept the change. Stay involved.
May 16, 2016
Final supporters
FOR ALL CONCERNED: There will be a commencement meeting March 28th at 10am in the UPD conference room. Please attend if you would like to voice your concerns about the larger commencement ceremonies as well as their impact on the department ceremonies.
*UPDATE: It has been confirmed with Vice President Keith Humphrey's office that there will still be name reading at the larger commencement ceremonies, but some departments are choosing to hold department commencement ceremonies with name reading as well. Check with your specific department to find out if your department will be holding a department commencement ceremony.
If you are a Cal Poly graduating senior in spring of 2016, you may have received an email from your department regarding this spring's commencement ceremonies. This email regarding Spring 2016 Commencement announced changes to the previous order of graduation. In the email, it states that "this year there are no separate departmental ceremonies." Why is this important? This means there will no longer be a small ceremony for each major that allows family and friends the opportunity to gather close and celebrate with you as you walk across the stage for graduation. With the new changes (made without the total consent of us, the graduating seniors) our families and friends will be lost in a crowd of on-lookers in the stands, the lengthy ceremony will force graduates to sit and wait while hundreds or thousands more graduates from multiple colleges and majors walk across the stage, and we will be limited to only ten tickets per graduate for our families and friends. On a day meant to celebrate us, the graduating seniors and our hard-earned accomplishments, we should be the priority not the afterthought. Let's come together and voice our concerns to change 2016 Spring Commencement to once again include individual department ceremonies, in the best interest of every graduating senior.
Updates
February 25, 2016
100 signatures on the board. This is just the beginning.
Reached 1,000 supporters
February 23, 2016
Reached 100 supporters
February 23, 2016
205 Comments
Cal Poly needs to back down and let departments do their ceremonies. There will be 1000+ graduates at the big ceremony and reading the names for both will make the graduation take too many hours. Ours doesn't start until 4pm meaning be there at 3 and end at 9? 10? Think Cal Poly, think!!
At my daughter's high school graduation of 3000, I never was able to even get a glimpse of her during the ceremony due to the number of people present. I was looking forward to actually being able to "see" her graduate college. This news is very disappointing. Please teconsider.
The department ceremony was what made graduation this past June memorable. It was personal, casual, and a lot of fun. There was time to say goodbye to professors and walk across the stage with friends. I would not have changed a thing. I sincerely hope Cal Poly reconsiders this decision.
As a graduate and then CP lecturer for 20 years I have attended small graduations more than 30 times over the years. This is the ceremony that students and parents cherish. Get rid of the large ceremony!
Please bring back department graduation ceremonies for spring 2016. Some of our older family members can't physically attend in the larger stadium-too crowded, steep stairs, temperature issues in full sun, etc. Thank you!
When you go to a state university it is easy to feel lost in a crowd, but your department oftentimes becomes your family. Department graduation ceremonies are important because it decreases the former and encourages the latter.
I was counting on the department ceremony so my whole family could participate!
I feel strongly about this.
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Cal Poly needs to back down and let departments do their ceremonies. There will be 1000+ graduates at the big ceremony and reading the names for both will make the graduation take too many hours. Ours doesn't start until 4pm meaning be there at 3 and end at 9? 10? Think Cal Poly, think!!