MCB Undergraduate Program - 2010 MCB Undergraduate Commencement

2010 MCB Undergraduate Commencement

What:	MCB Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony
When:	May 20, 2010, 9 a.m. The campus convocation will be held on May 16, at 2 pm.
Where:	Ceremony - Hearst Greek Theater (see below for more information)
Who:	Students completing their B.A. degrees Fall '09, Spring, Summer or Fall 2010. You may participate in only one MCB ceremony.

UPDATES ON COMMENCEMENT 2010
We post updates about the commencement ceremony to the mcb-infoline listserve, so be sure that you're subscribed with a current email address that you check regularly. To subscribe to mcb-infoline, go to http://mcb.berkeley.edu/undergrad/ and enter your e-mail address in the left frame of the page and click Subscribe.

TICKETS
Each graduating senior will be eligible to receive 4 complimentary tickets. These will be distributed out of the Undergraduate Affairs Office the week of April 19-23, 2010, to all students who have signed up on line (process begins in February '10).

The remaining tickets will be on sale at the Cal Performances box office, for $5 each, beginning on Monday, April 26. http://www.calperfs.berkeley.edu. There is no limit, but it will be first come, first served.

All seating, regardless of what the tickets say, is General Admission - no designated seats.

INSTRUCTIONS TO GRADUATING SENIORS
Graduates please arrive at 8:00 AM backstage wearing your cap and gown. You will receive additional instructions when you pick up your tickets. The ceremony will be approximately two hours in length.

IMPORTANT: We ask that you turn off your cell phones and refrain from using them for the duration of the ceremony. We also ask you to stay seated until the very end of this celebration. Each student is on stage for only a brief moment, and we want to make sure that their fellow students and loved ones can hear their names being called. Please extend the same courtesy to the families and friends of the students at the end of the list that you would want to have extended to you.

RECEPTION:
The reception will be held after Commencement at approximately 11:15 am at the base of the campanile. We will serve champagne, cider, cookies and strawberries.

KEY NOTE SPEAKER:
Professor G. Steven Martin, Department Chair and Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology

GRADUATION PICTURES:
Professional photographers will be at the event. To prevent crowd congestion and ensure the safety and comfort of all, visitors may only take pictures and videos from their seats.

REGALIA INFORMATION:
Cap and gown rental are available through the Special Services Department at the Cal Student Store. The rental fee is approximately $40. Gowns will be wrinkled. Be sure to unfold and hang your gown several days before the ceremony. If you are very tall/short, rent your gown early!

INVITATIONS:
You can also buy invitations to send to your guests through the Special Services Department in the spring, at the Cal Student Store.

DIPLOMAS:
Diplomas will be sent to all graduating seniors for no charge. If you have not already done so, please log onto Bearfacts to designate a specific address for your diploma.

VISITOR INFORMATION AND PARKING:
Visitors from out of the Bay Area may wish to contact UC Berkeley Visitors Services <http://www.berkeley.edu/visitors/> at 642-5215. Information on local accommodations can be found at the Berkeley Visitors Bureau <http://www.berkeleycvb.com/>. Information on the campus's Disability Access Services. <http://accommodations.berkeley.edu/>

Visitor parking is available in any designated student lot on campus, for a fee. Please see the Parking & Transportation web site for more information at http://pt.berkeley.edu. The map of parking lots on campus is at http://pt.berkeley.edu/PDFs/PadMAP2005.pdf.

PREPARE FOR ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS
The Greek Theater is a large outdoor amphitheatre built into the Berkeley hillside. We will hold the commencement ceremony, rain or shine, so come prepared. Mornings can be cool, even cold, in Berkeley so we suggest that you bring warm clothing, blankets, and an umbrella if rain is likely. Since the seating is on concrete benches, we also suggest that you bring along a cushion to sit on. (This will help with both cold and comfort.) Wear comfortable shoes, the location is hilly and there are steep steps in the theatre.

SIGN-UP FOR COMMENCEMENT VS. DEGREE LIST

Students sometimes think that these two things are the same. Put yourself on the degree list (through Telebears or with a petition after week 5) through L & S. You want to sign up for the degree list for the semester in which you plan to complete all of your requirements for the degree. Sign up for commencement to participate in the ceremony. You can finish your degree in December 2009, but participate in the May 2010 ceremony, or you can participate in the May 2010 ceremony even if you plan to earn an August 2010 or December 2010 degree!

Last Updated ( Friday, 23 October 2009 )