Undergraduate Student Guide
Disclaimer: The information in this student guide is subject to change, and as such, there will be additions, revisions, and removal of certain information. Please check back often for the most up-to-date information.Welcome
Congratulations! After so much hard work, personal growth and accomplishment, you are about to celebrate with family, friends and our entire community by participating in Commencement 2010. Consider attending the many events that surround this important day, from Senior Day to the Honors Convocation, dinners and receptions, and the procession across the stage at graduation. In this guide, you’ll find answers to your questions about how to get ready, what to wear, how to line-up and ways you might celebrate. We look forward to seeing you in May!
- Address Information
- Alma Mater
- August and Mid-Year Graduates
- Baccalaureate Mass
- Bookstore Hours
- Caps and Gowns/Regalia
- Dining During Commencement Week
- Diplomas
- Disability-Related Needs
- Eligibility for Participation
- Event Schedule
- Flowers
- GradFest
- Graduation Announcements
- Graduation Etiquette
- Graduation Press Release
- Honors at Graduation
- Line-up/Procession Instructions for Students
- Map of Campus
- Parking
- Participant and Guest Attire
- Photography and DVDs
- Programs
- Receptions
- Regalia
- Restrooms
- Seating
- Tickets
- What’s Next?
- Who to Contact
Address Information
Be sure that the Office of the Registrar has your correct mailing address for your diploma! Diplomas will be mailed to students after the commencement ceremonies.
Alma Mater
The University’s Alma Mater, with lyrics by Thomas G. Ventimiglia, is played at the Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies. A rendition of the Alma Mater can be heard at: www.alumni.sandiego.edu/alumnirelations.
August and Mid-year Graduates
There will be a special Celebration Mass on Thursday, December 17, 2009 at 4 p.m. in Founders Chapel for undergraduate, graduate and law students who complete their coursework in January 2010. The Mass will be followed by a reception in the French Parlor. All are invited to attend and celebrate with these graduates. Please RSVP to Annie Toth (619) 260-7889 or atoth@sandiego.edu by Tuesday, December 8, 2009 to reserve your place at this year’s Mass. Since the Celebration Mass is not a commencement ceremony, caps and gowns are not worn and diplomas are not presented. A professional photographer will be available at the reception to take individual photos of the graduates. Caps and gowns will be provided. Mid-year graduates are invited to participate in the Commencement ceremonies in May 2010.
Students who will be completing their requirements by the end of August following commencement may participate in the Commencement ceremonies. August graduates who wish to participate in the May 2010 Commencement must register for any required summer courses by April 30, 2010. A list of courses, dates and times of USD Summer Session offerings is made available in the fall semester with the spring semester class schedule. Unavailability of a needed course in USD’s Summer Session will not be grounds for an exception to the policy about Commencement participation.
April 30, 2010, is a final deadline for completion of summer registration at USD for August graduates wishing to participate in the May 2010 Commencement ceremony. August graduates may enroll in Summer Session after April 30, 2010 but it will be too late for them to participate in the May 2010 Commencement ceremony; however, they would be eligible to participate in the May 2011 Commencement ceremony. Graduation invitations, caps and gowns will be issued only to May 2010 graduates and August graduates who have registered for USD’s Summer Session and paid by April 30, 2010 for all courses needed to complete the degree. These courses may not include Independent Study.
Baccalaureate Mass
The Baccalaureate Mass takes place at 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 22 in
the
Jenny Craig Pavilion. Family, friends, and students of all faiths are welcome
and encouraged to attend. This beautiful liturgy provides an opportunity to
give thanks for the gift of your education and to pray for God’s guidance
as you embark on future endeavors. Tickets are not required and caps and gowns
are not worn.
Bookstore Hours for Commencement Weekend
Saturday, May 22 --
7:30 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Sunday, May 23
-- 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Caps and Gowns/Regalia
Caps and gowns are ordered through the USD Bookstore (see GradFest). Or go to: www.usdbookstore.com to order your cap and gown. Once ordered, they can be picked up beginning Monday, May 3 during the Bookstore's regular hours. Regalia ordered late will not be available until May 11. Some students like to customize their regalia; for more information on appropriate academic dress, please see Regalia and Participant and Guest Attire.
Dining During Commencement Week
Dining Location |
Fri 5/21 |
Sat 5/22 |
Sun 5/23 |
| Aromas | TBD |
Closed |
Closed |
| La Paloma | TBD |
Closed |
Closed |
| Tu Mercado | TBD |
7am-4pm |
7am-4pm |
| Student Life Pavilion Dining Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
TBD |
Closed |
Closed |
| La Gran Terraza (faculty & staff) | TBD |
Closed |
Closed |
Diplomas
At the Commencement ceremony, graduates receive a diploma cover with a letter of congratulations. Diplomas are mailed to graduates after the ceremony, once the fulfillment of degree requirements has been confirmed. August graduates also receive their diplomas once their coursework has been completed and graduation requirements have been met. When you completed your graduation petition, you provided the Office of the Registrar with an address for mailing your diploma. If your address has changed since you completed your graduation petition, please e-mail Lisa Zullo at lzullo@sandiego.edu your current mailing address. If you have not provided a mailing address on your graduation petition, your diploma will be mailed to your permanent address on file at the Office of the Registrar. Diploma frames can be ordered through the University Bookstore.
Be sure to check the spelling of your name as it will appear on your diploma and in the commencement program, as well as your correct degree, major and month of graduation. This can be done at the One Stop Student Center, in UC Room 126. Name changes for January graduates must be submitted by January 31; May and August graduates must notify the One Stop Student Center by May 1. Your first diploma is free. There is a fee for additional diplomas: those can't be ordered until your degree is posted.
The diploma that you receive in the mail will also designate whether you have graduated with honors (sum cum laude, magna cum laude or cum laude). These special honors are determined based on your USD grade point average -- for summa cum laude, 3.85 or higher; for magna cum laude, 3.65 to 3.84; and for cum laude, 3.46 to 3.64. The honors designation on your actual diploma may be different than the one announced at Commencement, because the script for Commencement is based on grades earned up to the end of the previous fall semester. The honors designation on your diploma will include all USD grades earned toward fulfillment of your degree requirements. Students graduating from the Honors Program will have that designation printed on the diploma they receive in the mail, in addition to any other honors they receive.
Disability-Related Needs
Graduates who have needs for special accommodation, such as wheelchair or assisted access, unanticipated needs that arise during the week before commencement, or are hearing impaired and require seats in view of interpreters should contact Ticket Office (619) 260-7550.
Guests who are hearing impaired may request special seating from any of the Commencement ushers. Disabled guests may also request that a companion sit with them.
Vehicles displaying a Disabled Person Parking Placard or Disabled Person License will be directed by officers to designated spaces in the Mission Parking Structure. These spaces are on the third floor of the structure, directly across from Torero Stadium. Although vehicles will not be allowed to load or offload passengers in front of the Jenny Craig Pavilion, tram service is provided for all disabled and elderly guests from the third floor parking structure entrance level.
Eligibility for Participation
Seniors who wish to walk in the May commencement ceremonies should have completed a Graduation Petition and submitted it to the One Stop Student Center by November 1, 2009. If you have not yet submitted a graduation petition, do so as soon as possible. Once it is processed, an e-mail from the Registrar’s Office will be sent to your USD e-mail address notifying you of your graduation status.
Commencement ceremonies are held once a year in May for students who have completed all requirements by January 31 and those completing all requirements by the end of the spring semester. Seniors graduating in August may participate in the previous May ceremony, provided that: 1) they take their remaining courses in USD’s Summer Session; and 2) they have registered (including payment) for USD’s Summer Session for their remaining courses by May 1 and have given written evidence of completed registration to the Registrar’s Office. August graduates who wish to take courses elsewhere (after procuring the appropriate waivers) may do so, but they may not participate in the May ceremony. (Note: Summer courses taken in USD’s own programs abroad meet the requirements for courses taken at USD.)
August graduates who wish to participate in May Commencement should register in the spring semester previous to the May ceremony for any needed courses that are not being offered at USD in the Summer Session immediately following Commencement. To facilitate the process of looking at the spring and summer courses together, a list of courses, dates and times of USD Summer Session offerings is made available in the fall semester at the same time as the spring semester class schedule. Unavailability of a needed course in USD’s Summer Session will not be grounds for an exception to the policy about Commencement participation; all information is made available to students the previous fall to anticipate and avoid any such problems.
May 1, 2010, is a final deadline for completion of summer registration at USD for August graduates wishing to qualify for participation in the May ceremony. August graduates may enroll in Summer Session after that day, but it will be too late for them to participate in the May 2009 Commencement ceremony. Caps and gowns will be issued only to May graduates and August graduates who have registered and paid by May 1 for all USD Summer Session courses needed to complete the degree.
Event Schedule
Wednesday, |
GradFest |
Thursday, |
GradFest USD Bookstore |
| Thursday, April 8 |
Senior Meeting Jenny Craig Pavilion 12:15 p.m. *Senior class photo to be taken on the plaza after the meeting. |
| Tuesday, May 4 |
Honors Convocation Shiley Theatre, Camino Hall 12:30-1:30 p.m. |
| Kappa Gamma Pi Welcome Dinner and Induction Ceremony (Invitation Only) Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice, Rooms C-D 5:15 - 7 p.m. |
|
| Friday, May 21 |
Naval ROTC Commissioning Ceremony |
| Black Graduates Recognition Ceremony location tbd 4:30-6 p.m. Reception - Black Graduates Recognition Ceremony location tbd 6-7 p.m. |
|
| Phi Beta Kappa Initiation (Invitation Only) location and time tbd |
|
| Saturday, May 22 |
Baccalaureate Mass Jenny Craig Pavilion 5 p.m Tickets are not required. Caps and gowns are not worn. |
Chicana/o Latina/o Graduates Recognition Ceremony |
|
| Sunday, May 23
|
Commencement - College of
Arts and Sciences (including Liberal Studies) Jenny Craig Pavilion 9 a.m. |
| Reception - College of Arts
and Sciences East Marian Way in front of the Hahn University Center 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. |
|
| Commencement - School of
Business Administration and Engineering Program Jenny Craig Pavilion 2 p.m. |
|
| Reception – School of Business Administration and Engineering Program East Marian Way in front of the Hahn University Center 4 -5:30 p.m. |
Flowers
Leis, corsages, and other floral items will be available for purchase before each Commencement ceremony at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. Although graduates sometimes wear leis with their regalia, corsages should be reserved for guests.
To order leis online please go to: www.graduationleis.com
GradFest 2009
Each year, the USD Bookstore holds a special event "GradFest" for
all potential graduates. This year’s GradFest will be held
on March 3 and 4 . At GradFest, you will place your cap and gown order. There is a nominal $10 fee, and you may keep
your cap and gown after graduation. At GradFest, you can also
order graduation announcements, class rings and diploma frames. Go to: www.usdbookstore.com to order your cap and gown.
Please plan to attend GradFest! You will have the opportunity to have your portrait taken in regalia by a professional photographer from California Candids (www.gradphotos.com); there is no sitting fee and free proofs will be forwarded to you. There will also be free giveaways and raffles. For more information, visit the USD Bookstore web site, www.usdbookstore.com, or call (619) 260-4600, ext. 2597. If you are unable to attend GradFest, please call the Graduation Hotline at (619) 260-4600, ext. 2597.
Graduation Announcements
Order your official personalized graduation announcements during GradFest or at the usdbookstore.com website. Allow several weeks for delivery.
Graduation Etiquette
Commencement ceremonies reflect the history, tradition and faith that each institution espouses in their teachings and philosophy, and their practices and culture. Commencement is more than a ceremony; it signifies a personal transformation and is often one of the most sought after and memorable occasions in a person’s life.
Of course, each person may desire to celebrate in an individual way, from expressions of support to adornments on academic attire. These expressions should be considered in the context of an important ritual shared by the entire institution. Therefore, we ask that participants and their guests comply with a few simple requests:
- Commencement is a cause for celebration, but remember that you have not graduated yet! Adherence to the University's alcohol policy is expected. Please save your personal celebrations until after the ceremonies.
- Cell phones should be turned off. Arrange a meeting place after Commencement with guests before the ceremony, and resist the temptation to IM or send text messages during the ceremony.
- Please do not use air horns or other noisemakers during the ceremony. They detract from both the dignity of the occasion and the enjoyment of other guests.
- Leave valuables with family members or guests prior to lining up for the procession. Do not leave purses, keys or other personal items in the hallways, restrooms or elsewhere in the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
- Several clubs and organizations have chosen sashes, cords or other adornments to mark their membership in a group. Although you may chose to wear some form of adornment, please note that gold sashes or stoles are reserved for students graduating in the Honors Program. Improper signs and insignia may be removed by a Commencement marshal.
- The ceremony should last approximately two hours. If you should need to leave your seat, please notify one of the marshals for assistance.
Thank you, and may your experience be one of both joy and reverence.
Graduation Press Release
Graduation Press Releases
The Office of Public Relations will send a press release announcing your graduation to your hometown newspaper.
Click here to complete the Graduation Press Release Form.
Please submit your information by May 25. All graduation press releases will be sent to newspapers following Commencement weekend.
If you have questions please call (619) 260-4659.
Honors at Graduation
Honors will be announced at graduation: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude and Summa Cum Laude. With the exception of those students graduating in January and have completed their degree, honors will be calculated based on the previous completed semester at USD. Once all required work is complete and verified, the actual officially awarded honors will appear on the diploma and transcript.
Line-up/Procession Instructions for Students
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There is no rehearsal for Commencement ceremonies.
Before you join your classmates at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, please arrange
a
post-ceremony meeting place with your guests.
Graduates should arrive at
the North parking lots of the Jenny Craig Pavilion one hour before Commencement
ceremonies are to begin. Students should find
their appropriate row number and follow the instructions of the Commencement
marshals. Honors Program graduates begin the procession into the Jenny Craig Pavilion followed alphabetically by graduates of the college or school.
Once the procession begins, marshals will lead you to the appropriate seating for your college or school. Please fill all available chairs, as there is no extra seating on the floor. Remain standing until all graduates have processed to their seat and the Platform Party has reached its place on the stage. Instructions will be given throughout the ceremony on when to be seated and when to stand. When it is time for you to walk across the stage and receive your diploma cover, the marshals will direct you to the platform. You will then receive your diploma cover and congratulations.
If you have a parent or close relative who is employed by the university and who would like to participate in the ceremony, please contact Julia Bemiss, Assistant Chair of Commencement, e-mail: Commencement or (619) 849-8228.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, you will be directed out of your seat by a marshal. We ask that all guests of the graduates remain at their seats until the conclusion of the recessional.
Map of Campus
Please click here for an updated campus map.
Parking
The university implements parking and traffic changes from Friday, May 21 through Sunday, May 23 to assist with Commencement. No university parking permits will be required on these days.
Please note the following changes:
- Parking will not be permitted on Santa Ana Drive after 5 p.m. on Friday, May 21, Saturday, May 22 and Sunday, May 23.
- Vehicles will not be permitted to offload passengers on Santa Ana Drive during Commencement.
There are several available places to park during Commencement weekend:
- Mission Parking Structure
- West Parking Structure
- West Parking Lot
- Law School Lot
- Hughes East and West Lots
- University Center West Lot
- Olin Hall Lot
- Loma/Serra Hall Lot
- Alcala Vista East Lot
Trams will be available to transport graduates and their guests from most of these locations. Disabled Person parking is available in the Mission Parking Structure; tram service will be provided for all disabled and elderly guests from the parking structure’s third floor entrance. For additional information, comments or special needs please contact Parking Services at (619) 260-4518.
Participant and Guest Attire
If you are participating in the ceremony, please do not bring purses, keys or other items of extra apparel or personal value with you to the Jenny Craig Pavilion, as you will not be permitted to carry or wear these in the procession. There will be no place to secure them in the JCP.
Academic attire is required for participation in Commencement ceremonies. We recommend “business casual” dress for Commencement. Keep in mind the temperature and weather outside when choosing your clothing. Blue jeans, shorts, tennis shoes and flip flops are discouraged. Women should consider low heels or flat shoes, as they will need to walk up and down stairs to cross the platform. High collars or bows at the neck and corsages or jewelry on the robe should be avoided. Men should consider dark trousers, shoes and socks; a tie is optional.
Guests should expect to sit for approximately two hours and should choose attire that will keep them comfortable. The Jenny Craig Pavilion is an air-conditioned facility.
Photography and DVDs
A professional photography, California Candids (www.gradphotos.com), will capture the ceremony and each graduate as the diploma is presented. Graduates will then be mailed a proof and order form for the photography. This is the best way to get a good photo of graduates onstage as they receive diplomas, as guests will not be permitted to approach the stage area.
Within a week of the ceremony, graduates will be sent order cards with proofs from the ceremony and a password to view their photographs online.
A professional Commencement Video vendor, Graduation Nation, will tape the ceremonies, and on-site DVD orders will be accepted by Graduation Nation and also at www.graduationnation.com.
Programs
The same program is used for both undergraduate Commencements. Guests are provided a program when they arrive at the doors of the Jenny Craig Pavilion. Students receive their programs during the ceremony; programs are placed on each of their seats.
Receptions
The receptions for the undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences and School of Business Administration Commencements are held immediately after their ceremonies, on East Marian Way in front of the Hahn University Center. Light refreshments are served at each reception. Eagen Plaza becomes very congested after the ceremonies, and it will be easier to find your family and friends if you move promptly to the reception area. Please consider designating a meeting place away from the Plaza after the ceremony so that you can be reunited with your guests; for instance, you might choose to meet in front of the Law School, at the Plaza de Alcalá Fountain or in front of Guadalupe Hall.
Regalia
Academic dress, or “regalia,” dates back to the 12th century. Scholars, whether teachers or students, dressed in the manner of clerics since they had often taken a vow of some kind. Gowns were probably long for warmth, and while hoods initially covered the head, other forms of headdress later served the same function. By the 14th century, English universities were prescribing a long gown without adornment, and later added colors signifying different areas of study.
Although European universities often vary in the styles and colors of academic regalia, in the late 1880s American universities adopted standardized code of academic dress. In 1932 and 1986, the American Council on Education reviewed and updated this code.
For the bachelor’s degree, gowns are generally black, untrimmed and worn closed. Sleeves are pointed. Caps are of the mortarboard style, with tassels fastened to the middle point of the top of the cap. (Candidates for degrees wear the tassels on the right front side before degrees are conferred, and shift them to the left when instructed to do so during the ceremony.) Caps are always worn in academic processions and during the ceremony of conferring degrees. Men should remove caps during prayer, the playing of the national anthem and the alma mater, and at other times if specified during the ceremony.
Several clubs and organizations have chosen sashes, cords, or other adornments to mark their membership in a group. Although you may chose to wear some form of adornment, please note that gold sashes or stoles are reserved for students graduating in the Honors Program. Improper signs and insignia may be removed by a Commencement marshal.
For more
information regarding the origins and code for academic regalia, please consult:
Academic Costume Code and An Academic Ceremony Guide
Restrooms
Restrooms are located on both levels of the Jenny Craig Pavilion. On the main level, they are on either side of the lobby. These restrooms are ADA accessible and offer changing tables for guests with small children. First floor restrooms are located near the lobby of the McNamara Fitness Center.
During receptions, restrooms are available in the Hahn University Center. Enter the main doors; the restrooms will be down the hall to the right.
Seating
Guests need to present their ticket for admittance to the Jenny Craig Pavilion. These tickets do not reserve specific seats; seating at Commencement ceremonies is on a first-come, first-served basis. The doors of the Jenny Craig Pavilion open one hour before each ceremony.
Please be seated before 9 a.m. for the College of Arts and Sciences ceremony, and before 2 p.m. for the School of Business Administration Ceremony; guests will not be seated after those times. Since seating is open, please do not save seats in any way other than sitting in the seat.
Special seating is available to guests who are hearing impaired or disabled; please see the section on Disability-Related Needs.
Although large video screens will be set up to make viewing easier for everyone, please do not bring balloons, ribbons or anything that might obstruct the view of others. We would like to make this event special for everyone; please turn off the sound on all electronic devices.
Tickets
The university uses a ticket system to ensure that each graduate has an equal opportunity for family and friends to attend undergraduate Commencement ceremonies in the Jenny Craig Pavilion.Eight (8) tickets will be available to graduating seniors in the College of Arts and Sciences. Given the smaller size of the graduating classes in the School of Business Administration and Department of Engineering, these graduates will have ten (10) tickets available. Tickets for both ceremonies will be available at the Jenny Craig Pavilion Ticket Office on Monday, May 3 and must be picked up by Friday, May 21 by 4 p.m.
Children under the age of 3 who will be seated on the lap of an adult do not need a ticket. All other guests must present a ticket for admittance to the Jenny Craig Pavilion on Sunday, May 23, 2010. Guest tickets are only available to seniors for the ceremony they plan to attend. Be careful with your tickets! Lost tickets cannot be replaced. Although the university does not have a formal process for ticket exchanges among students, a ticket trading board will be posted adjacent to the Main Dining Room in the Hahn University Center in early May.
Guests without tickets may view the ceremony by closed circuit television in the Hahn University Center.
What’s Next? Students Today, Alumni Forever!
As a graduate of USD, you are automatically a member of the USD Alumni Association – a network of over 50,000 alumni worldwide. The USD Alumni Association keeps you connected to your alma mater, offers you a variety of benefits and services, and provides you with opportunities to support current and future USD students. For information on the Alumni Association and its programs, including regional chapters, the online alumni directory, benefits and events, go to:
www.sandiego.edu/alumni/alumnirelations/future-alumni/
Who to Contact
For questions regarding the status of your Graduation Petition, contact:
Office of the Registrar
(619) 260-2888
www.sandiego.edu/registrar
To order announcements, diploma frames, class rings, regalia etc., contact:
USD Bookstore Graduation Hotline
(619) 260-4600, ext. 2597
www.usdbookstore.com
For information regarding photography, contact:
California Candids
(866) 882-2897
www.gradphotos.com
For information regarding DVD’s, contact:
Graduation Nation
www.graduationnation.com
For information regarding a reserved disability parking permit and related concerns, contact:
Office of Parent Relations
(619) 260-4808
e-mail: Parent Relations
For questions regarding the Alumni Association, contact:
Office of Alumni Relations
(619) 260-4819
e-mail: Alumni
For questions regarding the Baccalaureate Mass, or if you would like to participate as a liturgical ministry contact:
Mary Kruer
University Ministry
(619) 260-5903
e-mail: Mary Kruer
For questions regarding Naval ROTC, contact:
Naval ROTC Unit
e-mail:
For questions regarding tickets, contact:
Ticket Office in Jenny Craig Pavilion
(619) 260-7550
e-mail: Tickets
For any other questions, contact:
Julia Bemiss
Provost's Office
(619) 849-8228
e-mail: Commencement
