By:

Kristin Luciani

November 12, 2015

By:

Kristin Luciani

All Campus Commencement

Class of 2016 to participate in original tradition of campuswide ceremony

Photos by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications

For the first time in 15 years, UC San Diego will convene all of its graduating students for a campuswide commencement ceremony. The All Campus Commencement will include the conferring of degrees for approximately 8,000 undergraduates from all six colleges and graduate students from the Graduate Division, Rady School of Management and School of Global Policy and Strategy. The ceremony is set for 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 11, at RIMAC Field.

“We are excited to return to an all campus commencement ceremony that celebrates all graduates,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “This new tradition offers the best of both worlds for graduates. It provides an opportunity at the All Campus Commencement to come together one final time as the Class of 2016; and, at the college and professional ceremonies, graduates will receive individual recognition of their achievements. The All Campus Commencement is an important milestone and underscores our commitment to strengthening the sense of community for all of our students and families.”

In addition to providing a united commencement experience, the move to a one-campus ceremony will assist UC San Diego in efforts to secure a high-profile speaker. Identification of a speaker to address the 2016 graduates is already underway. Given UC San Diego’s national leadership in service—the campus has been ranked No. 1 in the country by Washington Monthly for six years in a row—the campus is seeking an individual who will speak to the theme of exemplary public service.

In previous years, students graduated with their college or graduate program in ceremonies that included both the conferring of degrees and the opportunity to walk across stage. This year, the official conferral of degrees by the Chancellor will happen during the All Campus Commencement. Following the All Campus Commencement, the colleges and graduate programs will host personalized graduation ceremonies, where students will walk across stage as their names are read.

“Each of the six undergraduate colleges will continue to hold its own commencement ceremony,” explained John Moore, provost of John Muir College and chair of the Council of Provosts. “This is a long-standing and uplifting UC San Diego tradition where extended families and friends attend to witness student achievements individually recognized.”

For undergraduates, the All Campus Commencement mirrors another campuswide tradition: Convocation. Established in 2006, Convocation welcomes all incoming freshmen and transfer students at the start of the academic year.

“These campuswide traditions help build a more positive, inclusive community for our students,” said Juan González, vice chancellor for Student Affairs. “We are thrilled that graduates and their families will have the opportunity to celebrate with other graduates across campus, as well as with their undergraduate college or graduate community.”

Planning for the All Campus Commencement began last year, when representatives from the undergraduate colleges, Graduate Division, Alumni Affairs, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Associated Students, Graduate Student Association and others studied the logistics and goals of establishing a new campuswide ceremony. A planning committee for the 2016 All Campus Commencement is meeting throughout the year and will continue to provide additional information to the campus, graduates and families.

In order to accommodate the traffic flow and parking needs for the addition of the All Campus Commencement, Housing and Dining will be working with the colleges to extend move-out date and times for campus residents, based on each college and its proximity to the venue. Detailed information will be shared with residents in each community accordingly.

The schedule for UC San Diego’s 2016 Commencement is: