Academic Events

The Big Day's Coming: Graduation!

Peg Skorpinski photo

Spring 2007 | Thousands of proud family members and friends will flock to the Berkeley campus from May 10 to 21 to applaud more than 9,000 students receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees this spring. At Berkeley, students graduate with classmates in their academic discipline at one of many commencement ceremonies hosted by the campus. Degrees are conferred at these ceremonies.

Planning for the May ceremonies is nearing completion; a continually updated schedule is online at seniors.berkeley.edu. Please note that information is subject to change, so check in late April to confirm details.

Graduating seniors should have received commencement information from their major departments in February. Questions about a specific ceremony, including ticketing, parking, and arrangements for people with disabilities or other special needs, should be directed to your student’s department (contact information is listed at the website above).

Students can rent academic regalia (caps and gowns) from the Cal Student Store. For information on rentals, graduation announcements, and gifts, visit newscenter.berkeley.edu/goto/regalia.

A special event for graduates from all departments, the Commence-ment Convocation, will be held on Wednesday, May 9, at 4 p.m. in the Hearst Greek Theatre. Hosted by Chancellor Robert Birgeneau, the event features a noted speaker and honors the University Medalist and other outstanding seniors. Graduating seniors will receive additional information in April, and details are at seniors.berkeley.edu.

Berkeley welcomes many visitors during commencement, so advance reservations for hotels and restaurants are a must. The Visitor Guide included in this issue features listings of local accommodations, city and campus sites, and other travel tips to help you plan a special visit.