The Commencement Ceremony at Cal State Channel Islands is a candidate’s ceremony and not a degree conferral ceremony. Participation in the ceremony does not guarantee degree certification. Candidates who are denied will receive notification by mail from the Records and Registration office. Denied candidates are required to reapply for graduation for the term in which all degree requirements are met. More information about the Commencement ceremony is given below. Additionally, eligible degree candidates will receive a Commencement Candidate and Guest Information booklet in the mail by mid-March.
MANDATORY Application to Participate in the Commencement Ceremony
For more information regarding participating in commencement, please see the Policy on Commencement Participation (SA.16.002).
The ceremony will be held on the CSUCI South Quad lawn, One University Drive, Camarillo. The South Quad lawn is behind the Bell Tower.
The ceremony will be held Saturday, May 17 and will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m.
Check in for degree and teaching credential candidates will be located at Malibu Hall along Chapel Drive no later than 8:00 a.m. This will allow time for instructions, lineup and robing. The Ceremony lasts approximately two hours.
Complimentary coffee and light breakfast refreshments will be available in the morning for students and their guests.
The Sodexho campus food service at the Islands Café will also be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and for an hour after the ceremony. Food selections will be available for purchase and will include continental breakfast items, pastries, fruit, as well as beverages. After the ceremony, pre-made salads and sandwiches will be available.
The ceremony will be held outdoors on the South Quad lawn. Seating will be provided. Hats and/or sunglasses, and sunscreen are highly recommended for your guests. In the event of inclement weather, check the CSUCI website for details and start times.
Since only two vehicles will be permitted per degree candidate, we strongly suggest guests carpool to their designated parking area. Guests are also encouraged to utilize the free VISTA bus transportation. Guests should make every effort to be seated by 8:45 a.m. as the ceremony will begin promptly at 9 a.m. Please see the Parking & Transportation Section below for further information.
Flowers will be available for purchase in the courtyard located on the east side of the Bell Tower prior to entering the South Quad lawn area. Helium balloons are not permitted in the seating area, as they may disrupt the view of the guests seated around them.
The Cove will have a tent located in the South Quad for the purchase of CSUCI memorabilia and the retail store, located at 45 Rincon Dr. in the University Town Center, will open at 8 a.m.
Accessible restrooms will be open throughout the Bell Tower building and portable restroom trailers will be available in South Quad as well.
With the exception of service animals for persons with disabilities, pets or animals will not be allowed at the ceremony.
Extremely large crowds are expected for the ceremony. As such, parking must be limited to two vehicles only* per degree candidate.
Degree candidates will be allowed to park on campus* while a limited number of guest vehicles will be required to park at the Metrolink Station in Camarillo, where they will be provided free shuttle service to the ceremony. This means all guests must arrive with suitable time for parking and transport to the campus.
Check back often for the latest parking updates.
Reasonable accommodations and services will be provided to guests with disabilities. Requests are to be made in a timely manner with appropriate documentation, and in accordance with federal, state and university guidelines. The area designated for disability parking will require preassigned tickets.
The deadline to request accessible guest parking will be on Friday, April 25, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.
Please Note: Persons with Disabled Placards will need to register with the Educational Access Center by Friday, April 25, 2008, at 5:00 p.m., in order to ensure that adequate Accessible Parking will be available on campus. Guests should report to the area designated for Disability Parking early. Disability Parking is on a first-come, first serve basis.
*Subject to availability
Free VISTA bus transportation is also available to and from the campus at the following locations and departure & arrival times:
Camarillo Metrolink Station, Lewis Rd
Oxnard Center Point Mall, SCAT bus location is behind Mervyn’s
Oxnard College, E. Bard and Simpson
If you are graduating this semester and are a student with a physical disability, or any other disability requiring accommodations, please contact the Educational Access Center at (805) 437-3331 prior to Friday, April 25, 2008, at 5:00 p.m., so that we may provide your access needs to participate in the commencement ceremony.
Reasonable accommodations and services will be provided to guests with disabilities. Requests are to be made in a timely manner with appropriate documentation, and in accordance with federal, state and university guidelines. The area designated for disability seating will require preassigned tickets. The deadline to request accessible guest seating will be on Friday, April 25, 2008, at 5:00 p.m.
Please Note: Pre-assigned tickets do not guarantee seating after the ceremony has started. Guests should report to the area designated for Disability Seating early. Seating is on a first-come, first serve basis. We will provide a maximum of two additional tickets in the event guests with disabilities wish to have persons sitting with them. No exceptions will be made due to limited seating.
Please contact the Educational Access Center (EAC) by phone (805) 437-3331, or via e-mail at accommodations@csuci.edu prior to Friday, April 25, 2008, at 5:00 p.m., regarding the required disability verification, and ticket distribution.
Invitations and/or announcements will be available for purchase online through Jostens at shop.jostens.com.
Customized invitations can be ordered through Jostens beginning February 20. It is recommended that you order customized invitations at least six weeks before the Commencement ceremony. Generic invitations will also be available at The Cove Bookstore. For more information, visit The Cove at the University Town Center or call (805) 437-8833.
Please contact The Cove between February 20 and March 25 to place your order to purchase your cap, gown, and tassel. Regalia will only be available for purchase this year (no rentals), so you may keep your cap and gown in addition to your 2008 tassel.
Pre-ordered caps and gowns will be available for pick up beginning April 25 at The Cove Bookstore. Total cost for undergraduates to purchase a cap, tassel, and gown is $55.00 plus tax. Pre-order your cap and gown between February 20 and March 25. For graduate students, the cost for Master’s regalia (cap, gown, tassel, and hood) is $60.00 plus tax. Remember, you must be robed in a cap and gown to participate. Candidates not wearing the preferred attire will not be permitted to participate in the ceremony. Please note: there will be an additional shipping charge for regalia ordered after March 25.
Your Senior Class Grad Pack includes:
For more information, you may call Alumni Relations at (805) 437-8952 or The Cove Bookstore at (805) 437-8833.
The procession will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. Degree candidates will be lined up by degree and major. The University’s Chief Marshal will lead the procession followed by other University Marshals, the degree candidates, faculty, and then the platform party. Once everyone is seated, the ceremony will begin. After the Commencement Speaker has concluded, the master of ceremonies will announce for the University Marshals to lead their candidates to the stage. The ceremony is expected to last approximately two hours.
The Honors Convocation ceremony will be held on campus on Friday, May 2, 2008, at 6:30 p.m. at the Library Plaza. At that time, honors candidates will be recognized and will receive their cord or medallion that may later be worn at Commencement. Invitations with further details to honors students will be mailed several weeks prior to the event. Your family and guests are also welcome to attend this ceremony. Please contact Amber Weir at (805) 437-8548 or amber.weir@csuci.edu for questions about Honors Convocation.
Family members will not be allowed on or in front of the stage to take photographs or video, and may only take photographs in the designated photography area and from audience seats. We ask that family members be courteous of others when taking photos. A professional photography company will be taking pictures of the ceremony and of each candidate. Proofs will be mailed within one week after the event to the address provided on the Reader Card (provided during check-in).
Professional senior and yearbook portrait opportunities are also available through O'Connor Bros. Photography Studio, located in Simi Valley at 58 Moreland Road, Ste. B, approximately 25 minutes from campus. Call (805) 306-9542 for an appointment today. Sitting fees are $18, which include a personalized proof sheet and your choice of a retouched image for the yearbook. Caps, gowns, and CSUCI tassels will be provided for the sitting.
Upon certification of the degree by the Records and Registration office, diplomas will be ordered and mailed to your address on file in your myCSUCI account. Diploma orders take approximately six to eight weeks to arrive. Transcripts needed prior to the arrival of the diploma must be requested through the normal procedure. Diploma frames may be purchased at The Cove Bookstore.
Official certificates will be sent to graduates through the normal ordering procedure. Contact the teaching credential office at (805) 437-8573 if you have any questions.
The Alumni & Friends Association will keep you connected to CSUCI with services including continued use of select campus facilities, providing career development opportunities and supporting connections to your CSUCI friends, faculty and staff.
The Association offers a minimal fee to join annually or as a lifetime member. Look for the Association’s booth at Commencement for additional membership information. Parents can also purchase gift lifetime memberships for graduates on Commencement day or by calling Alumni Relations at (805) 437-8952. Any memberships may be purchased by visiting www.csuci.edu/alumni/index.htm.
The ceremony is meant as a celebration for degree candidates and their family and guests. With this in mind, all in attendance should be courteous of others.
How do I know if I am eligible to graduate?
What do I need to do to participate in Commencement ⁄ graduation?
What if my name does not appear on the list of graduates posted?
I will complete my degree in fall 2008. Can I participate in the upcoming spring 2008 ceremony?
What time should my family and I arrive for Commencement?
Where on campus will check-in be held for the candidates?
How many people can attend the ceremony?
Where should my guests and I park?
If I am a candidate to graduate with honors, where do I get my honors cord or medallion?
Who do I call for disability accommodations?
How can I stay connected to CSUCI after I graduate?
Contact us at:
Local hotel accommodations with special CSUCI rates and/or reserved space:
Hampton Inn & Suites - Camarillo
50 W. Daily Drive
Camarillo, CA 93010
805-419-8760 direct
805-389-9899 fax"Be Our Guest" at the Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Port Hueneme.
View our hotel at www.countryinns.com/porthuenemeca.
805-986-5353 phone
805-986-4399 fax
With its inaugural commencement ceremony held in 2003, Cal State Channel Islands introduced several traditions that will be carried over to each year's ceremony.
Click on the link below to read information and news releases pertaining to the Inaugural Commencement Ceremony held on May 23, 2003.
CSU Channel Islands - One University Drive - Camarillo CA 93012 USA - (805) 437-8400
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