Guests' FAQ
Following are some frequently asked questions for guests:
- What can I tell my guests about SF State?
- How many guests may I invite to the ceremony?
- Where can I buy announcements?
- Where can my out-of-town guests stay in San Francisco?
- Are there special services for the elderly or graduates and guests with disabilities?
- What services are available in or near the stadium during the ceremony?
- What is the best way to get to campus?
- Where can my guests and I park?
- Where should I meet my guests after the ceremony?
- Where can my relatives and friends see the ceremony if they aren't able to come to campus that day?
- Where can my relatives and friends see the ceremony if they aren't able to get into Cox Stadium but are on campus?
- Where can I get more information?
What can I tell my guests about SF State?
The "SF State at a Glance" Web site is a good place for your guest to learn about the University -- past, present and future.
How many guests may I invite to the ceremony?
When you rent your regalia (cap and gown) at the bookstore, you will be given five tickets. You need one ticket for every person requiring a seat (young children on laps do not need a ticket). If you do not need all five, leave any extras with the Bookstore. If you need extra tickets, ask to put your name on a first-come, first-served list when you are renting your regalia. Just before Commencement, the Bookstore may be able to hand out extra tickets to that list, if there are any left. There is no guarantee there will be extra tickets. You may also check the "want ad" section of the student newspaper (sometimes individual students offer extra tickets for sale) or online sources.
Where can I buy announcements?
You may purchase standard and personalized graduation announcements to give to your friends and relatives at the SF State Bookstore. For more information, stop by the Bookstore or call the Gift Department at (800) 433-0296.
Please allow two and a half to three weeks for personalized announcements.
Where can my out-of-town guests stay in San Francisco?
SF State's Conference Services can help you find a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast for your out-of-town guests during their stay in San Francisco. For personal assistance, e-mail Dustin Fabian or call (415) 405-4427.
Are there special services for the elderly or graduates and guests with disabilities?
Commencement involves stairs and a lot of walking -- from parking areas, to stadium seating (there are no elevators into the stadium), and to college receptions. To arrange transportation for the elderly or people with disabilities to and from Cox Stadium (special parking and a shuttle to seating on the floor of the stadium), or to arrange seating near a sign language interpreter, please fill out the Disability Programs and Resource Center's access form by May 7, 2009.
Please note: The entire ceremony will be open-captioned on a jumbo screen located near the stage.
Also note: if you plan to return to your car by way of the provided disability shuttle immediately after the main ceremony, please be prepared for a wait period due to the volume of people needing transport all at once.
What services are available in or near the stadium during the ceremony?
There will be flower, food, and souvenir vendors set up around the stadium, as well as water stations and regular and disability temporary restrooms. There will be emergency services available behind the south side of the stage in Cox Stadium and in the Student Health Center near the stadium. Check back here for a map link, posted closer to the ceremony date.
Note: The map will be reprinted in the Commencement Program that is handed out as people enter the stadium.
What is the best way to get to campus?
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.
Where can my guests and I park?
Free parking will be available in Lot 20, the parking garage located off Lake Merced Boulevard on State Drive; Lot 25 on Winston Drive; and Sunset Circle, on Lake Merced at Sunset Boulevard, approximately 10 minutes by foot to campus. Lot 20 is closest to Cox Stadium. Street parking is also available.
Where should I meet my guests after the ceremony?
Please arrange to meet family and friends on the upper campus after the ceremony, as the movement of the crowd makes meeting within the stadium impossible. Graduates will be asked to leave the stadium by the pathway on which they entered.
Where can my relatives and friends see the ceremony if they aren't able to come to campus that day?
Commencement will be broadcast live on cable TV and the Internet! To watch the ceremony from home in San Francisco, tune in to the live broadcast on Comcast Channel 75. To view Commencement live on the Internet, you need Apple QuickTime Player and an Internet connection.
Download the free QuickTime Player beforehand to avoid last-minute setup. Both broadcasts will be open captioned.
Where can my relatives and friends see the ceremony if they aren't able to get into Cox Stadium but are on campus?
Commencement will be broadcast live on cable TV in the Cesar Chavez Student Center and is also available in any multi-media equipped classroom.
Where can I get more information?
This Web site will be updated frequently, especially as we get closer to the day of the event. We have made every attempt to be thorough but if there is something we have missed or you need clarification, please e-mail commence@sfsu.edu
