SF State Commencement
 

Read President Corrigan's statement to graduates.

On the day of the ceremony:

* See Commencement: [There will be a link here.]

* Hear Commencement: [There will be a link here.]

Please note: Alcoholic beverages, balloons, coolers/ice chests, banners, signs, beach balls, silly string, fireworks, and umbrellas are not allowed in Cox Stadium. Because the majority of guest seating in the stadium is on bleachers with steep steps, the use of baby strollers is not recommended. Smoking is not permitted in or around Cox Stadium. Smoking is allowed only in designated areas on campus. See the Smoking Areas Map (excluding the Cox Stadium area for the day).

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom will deliver the keynote address at SF State's 107th Commencement. Mayor Newsom has partnered with SF State on a variety of initatives and programs since he became San Francisco's 42nd mayor in 2004. Among these partnerships is SF Promise, a program that guarantees acceptance to SF State for San Francisco high school students who qualify for college.

"Mayor Newsom is a visionary leader whose policies and practices embody San Francisco's unique strengths and values," SF State President Robert A. Corrigan said. "He is a strong supporter of higher education who appreciates the contribution San Francisco State makes towards economic development and the cultural life of this great city."

Read more on Mayor Newsom

Typically a number of people are honored for their contributions to SF State and the wider Bay Area or world community, including: The Alumnus of the Year, honorary degree recipients, and the Presidential Medal awardees.

Alumnus of the Year Joseph L. White
Psychologist and activist Joseph L. White, Ph.D., has been named 2008 Alumnus of the Year. Since studying psychology at SF State in the 1950s, White has revolutionized the way people of color are understood in psychology and has improved diversity on college campuses.

White is best known for challenging psychologists to understand the unique experiences of ethnic minorities. In 1968, White helped found the Association of Black Psychologists and was among the African American psychologists who demanded reform in the American Psychological Association. White's seminal article in Ebony magazine in 1970 laid the foundations of black psychology, a new movement, which introduced black perspectives into traditional psychological theories and approaches.

"Joseph White has made a fundamental shift in how ethnic minorities are viewed, understood and treated in American psychology," President Robert A. Corrigan said. "He has worked tirelessly to make college education accessible to students from every walk of life. His dedication and indomitable spirit serve as an inspiration to all of us." Read more on the Alum of the Year.

Honorary degrees
Manny Mashouf, Walter Johnson, and Isabel Allende will all be honored with doctorates of Humane Letters. Mashouf will receive his honorary degree from SF State, while Allende and Johnson are being honored by the CSU.

* Manny Mashouf: Mashouf started bebe in the 1970s, and now oversees the publicly traded company that boasts more than 200 stores worldwide. Under Mashouf's guidance, the brand and company have become internationally recognizable and are associated with chic, cutting-edge clothing worn by some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Since graduating from SF State in 1968, Mashouf has served as a member of the SF State College of Business Advisory Board for nearly a decade. He and Neda Mashouf -- also an SF State graduate -- made the biggest donation in SF State history: $10 million in 2005 to help fund a new building for the College of Creative Arts. Mashouf was also named Alumnus of the Year in 2005 and inducted into the Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 2003.

* Walter Johnson: Johnson fought for the rights of women, people of color and gays and lesbians who were working in retail in San Francisco while serving as Secretary-Treasurer of the Retail Clerks Union, Local 1100 starting in 1964. In 1985, Johnson was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the San Francisco Labor Council, which represents the interests of 100,000 union members in the City and County of San Francisco. He held this title until his retirement in 2004 and today is Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus. Johnson has also dedicated more than 40 years of service to his church and the wider community. At SF State, Johnson has served on the President's Advisory Board and on the advisory boards for the Labor Studies Program and the Labor Archives.

* Isabel Allende: A journalist, playwright, teacher and philanthropist, Isabel Allende began writing fiction and memoirs at the suggestion of renowned Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. The recipient of numerous literary awards, Allende has authored 17 books, two of which were major motion pictures and two that are currently in production. Her novels and memoirs have been translated into 30 languages and have sold more than 51 million copies. Allende, who has lived in the United States since 1987, established the Isabel Allende Foundation in tribute to her late daughter. The Foundation supports organizations that promote and preserve the fundamental rights, empowerment and protection of women and children.

Students must line up at noon for the processional (see below). The ceremony begins promptly at 12:15 p.m. Guest seating in Cox Stadium is on a first-come, first-served basis (entrance requires a ticket, see below), so your guests should plan to arrive early. The gates to Cox Stadium will open at 10 a.m. on Commencement Day.

To beat the traffic it is wise to arrive early or, better yet, take public transit. The MUNI light rail line M and the #28 bus from the Daly City BART station both stop at 19th and Holloway avenues at the south-east corner of campus (be sure to get the free transfer inside the Daly City BART station for the roundtrip bus ride). For the convenience of guests arriving early, food and soft drinks will be on sale at locations around the campus, near and in the stadium. Also, many of the food vendors in the Student Center will be open on Commencement Day.

If you drive to campus, allow extra time for traffic, especially following the main ceremony.

Graduates can preregister their e-mail, friends, and family (up to six) e-mail addresses and Graduation Images will contact them just as soon as their photos are available for online viewing and ordering. Got to: gradimages.com

A professional photographer will also be available to take graduation photographs of you with your family and friends in the Student Center lobby before the main ceremony, from 8 a.m. - noon, and immediately following the main ceremony. Photographers for hire will also be at other locations on campus that day.

A DVD of the Commencement ceremony is provided to the Library's Media Access Center (MAC) so that students can make copies. Come anytime during their normal hours. It takes about 15 minutes to copy (you do it yourself on their computers) and fits on one blank DVD-R disk. If you can't make it to campus, send a blank DVD-R and a stamped, self-addressed return envelope to MAC and they will make a copy and send it to you. Call 415-338-1229 for MAC hours and information (or see the link above).

For questions, call the Registrars Office, 415-338-2350.

For academic requirement assessment services prior to applying for graduation, undergraduates should call GE Advising at 415-338-2101. For questions regarding your degree application after it has been submitted, call Admissions at 415-338-1634, Mon. - Fri., 9 a.m. to noon, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The evaluator who has reviewed your degree application will send you a "Preliminary Response Notice" sometime between March and May. It will include his or her name and a direct campus phone number.

Graduate students should consult the University Bulletin, call the Graduate Division 415-338-2234, or visit the appropriate Web site for degree requirement information: Master's Degree page and the Graduate Deadlines page.

Once you apply for graduation your name appears on a list at the Bookstore that will allow you to, when the time comes in May (see below), rent your regalia. (Each gown rental comes with five guest tickets for the main Commencement ceremony. See below for more information on renting gowns and tickets.)

Undergraduates: call Admissions Office, 415-338-1634.
Graduates: call the Graduate Division, 415-338-2234.

Or go to the OneStop Center in the Student Services building on campus.

At the Commencement ceremony, you will walk forward to the stage and receive a diploma cover only. (Because of the size of our graduation -- potentially 7,000 students but usually over 4,000 -- we do not announce the name of each graduate.)

For undergraduates (bachelor's degrees), diplomas are mailed to May graduates after their records have been evaluated. August and January graduates should get their diplomas by Commencement day or will be getting them shortly afterward. For May candidates, you can expect to receive your diploma eight to 10 weeks after Commencement. The diploma will be sent to the address you listed on your graduation application. If you do not attend Commencement and you wish to have a cover, you may request one and it will be sent free of charge. Call the Registrar's Office at 415-338-2350 or visit the Registrar's window in the OneStop Center in the Student Services building.

For graduates (master's degrees), diplomas are sent 12 to 15 weeks after Commencement. Diploma covers are sent on request if you didn't attend the ceremony.

For all diploma questions, call the Registrar's Office at 415-338-2350, or visit the Registrar's window in the OneStop Center in the Student Services building.

On Commencement Day: Graduates will march up to the stage to receive their diploma covers and be congratulated by your college dean (or possibly a special guest) row by row, proceeding front to back, assisted by faculty marshals and ushers. Please remain at your seat until it is time for your row to go up.

You will be directed by the Commencement announcer when to begin. Master's degree students will be first, followed by bachelor's degree students. Before each group starts to move to the stage, the president will ask those graduates to stand and will formally confer that group's degree. After that, you may sit down again and may remain seated until your faculty marshal directs you to line up to walk to the stage.

All graduates will go to either the north or south area of the stage. Marshals and ushers will guide you as you line up along the outer aisle of your section, walk on stage, receive your diploma cover, get your photo taken, and return down the center aisle in the middle of your seating area.

You will not return to your seat. You will continue to the end of the student seating area and exit the stadium the way you came in. Please follow the directions of the ushers and faculty marshals.

View a diagram illustrating the path out of the stadium at the conclusion of Commencement.

Some of the vendors who participated will return to campus and be here on Commencement Day.

The photographer taking pictures during the Graduate Fair will not be back until next year's fair and is not located in California. However, there will be photographers roaming campus on Commencement Day, and each graduate going to the stage during the ceremony will get a photo taken that will be available for purchase through the Internet after they are posted (see above).

Diploma frames and announcements will be sold all semester in the Bookstore. You can also order announcements online at: www.cbgrad.com. Class ring vendors will visit campus during at other times during the semester.

The three class ring vendors and the dates they will be in the Student Center are:
April 8 - 9: Balfour, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
April 10 - 11: Herff-Jones, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
April 22 - 24: Jostens, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
May 23: Balfour, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
May 24 (Commencement Day!): All vendors from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Brochures are available year round at the customer service desk.

Graduates will lineup, march into the stadium, and sit according to their college. A list of programs by college will be posted here closer to the ceremony date.

Graduates are asked to form their lines at noon. Within each college you will line up single file, with master's candidates first, followed by bachelor's candidates (doctoral candidates will receive separate line-up instructions). Programs will be set aside for graduates to acquire either as you line up or as you begin to march. (Guests receive programs as they enter Cox Stadium.)

Each college will be assigned a color and will enter the stadium following colored cues held by ushers. Faculty marshals and ushers will be on hand to assist you. Please make an effort to stay in your line and follow it to your seat.

The processional will enter Cox Stadium at 12:15 p.m. If you are late, you will be unable to march into the stadium and be seated with your college but you are welcome to find a seat at the rear of the graduate section on the floor of the stadium. When you reach your seat in the stadium, please remain standing until you receive instructions from the stage.

Visit the maps showing where your college will line up on campus, how you will enter the stadium, and the general area of your seat during the ceremony (Please note that where you end up may depend on the number of graduates who actually show up on Commencement Day. If one section fills early you willl be directed to another seat in the next section. Every graduate will have a seat.) .

A flyer listing all the departments within the colleges will be included in your regalia package. If you have any questions, call your program department.

Please note: Alcoholic beverages, balloons, coolers/ice chests, banners, signs, beach balls, silly string, fireworks, and umbrellas are not allowed in Cox Stadium. Smoking is not permitted in or around Cox Stadium. Smoking is allowed only in designated areas on campus. See the Smoking Areas Map (excluding the Cox Stadium area for the day).

All graduates must wear caps and gowns rented or purchased from the SFSU Bookstore -- no exceptions. Visible costumes over or under Commencement regalia or outfits other than cap and gown are not allowed. Students wearing such outfits will be asked to remove them or leave the line of march.

Master's degree candidates wear hoods lined with the University colors, purple and gold. The color of the velvet trim may indicate your degree's discipline. When you pick up your cap and gown, a salesperson will help you select the proper hood. Bachelor's degree candidates do not wear hoods.

Renting the regalia allows us to estimate how many seats will be needed for graduates at Commencement. When you pick up your regalia, please be sure to fill out the survey to let us know your intentions regarding the main ceremony.

Read more on the academic regalia worn at commencement. Faculty rental information: faculty_rental08.pdf

Cap and gown rental at the Bookstore will be on the following dates:

May 12 - 15, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
May 16, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
May 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
May 19 - 22, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Grad Pack pickup hours are the same as the Cap & Gown rental hours. Original receipt and student ID are required for verification at time of pickup. If you cannot come to the Bookstore during the rental hours, a friend may rent the cap and gown for you. He or she must bring a letter from you and a photocopy of your picture I.D.

You may also order your cap and gown by phone, 415-338-BOOK, with a valid MasterCard, Visa, or American Express card; a $15 service charge will be added to the rental fees. Call the Bookstore for details.

Academic regalia will not be rented after Thursday, May 22, 6 p.m. -- no exceptions. Apparel ordered by phone prior to that deadline can be picked up a the Bookstore on Friday, May 23. Those who need to exchange gowns for another size or need other assistance will be accommodated then as well.

Bachelor's degree cap and gown rental (includes cap, gown, and tassel): $51.95
Master's degree cap and gown rental (includes cap, gown, tassel, and hood): $63.95

All graduates keep the cap and tassel. Gown and hoods must be returned to the Bookstore following the main ceremony on May 24 by 5 p.m. at tables set up for that purpose. A $3-a-day late fee will be added starting on May 29, 2008, until the gown and/or hood is/are returned.

Main ceremony tickets (5) will be issued at the time of rental. (See below for ticket details.)

For more information, visit the SFSU Bookstore Web page or call 415-338-2063.

• Library privileges here at SF State and all other CSU campuses
• Access to the Career Center and MonsterTRAK.com job Web site
• Subscription to Alumni e-News
• Free home delivery of SF State Magazine
• Discounted individual plans for health, dental, optical, home, renter, auto, and life insurance from leading carriers
• Twenty-five percent discount coupon at the SF State Bookstore, valid online or in the store

To avoid heavy traffic, the best way to get to and from campus may be through public transit. The MUNI light rail line M and the #28 bus from the Daly City BART station both stop at 19th and Holloway avenues at the south-east corner of campus (be sure to get the free transfer inside the Daly City BART station for the roundtrip bus ride). For more information, visit SFSU's Parking and Transportation page or 511.org for help in planning your trip to campus. (Note: Transit links may be on a week-end schedule.)

Free parking will be available in Lot 20, the parking garage located off Lake Merced Boulevard on State Drive; Lot 25 on Winston Dr.; and Sunset Circle, on Lake Merced and Sunset, approximately 10 minutes by foot to campus. Lot 20 is closest to Cox Stadium. Street parking is also available. (See the map of campus.)

Both broadcasts will be open captioned.

Return here on Commencement day morning for the links to either watch (broadband connection) or listen (modem connection) online. The link will be posted sometime in the preceding week so you can check the connection beforehand.