Sonoma State University's Commencement 2017 ceremonies will be spread out over two days and take place at the Green Music Center. Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jeri Echeverria made the announcement in an email to campus Friday afternoon.
"As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, many of you will have the opportunity to visit with family and loved ones, making Thanksgiving weekend the perfect time to let your parents, family and loved ones know about the Commencement ceremonies planned for Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21 of 2017," wrote Echeverria.
Six individual School Commencement ceremonies will be held this year for both undergraduate and graduate students. Students will be graduating with other students in their academic Departments and Schools.
Historically, Sonoma State's Commencement ceremonies have taken place outdoors with temporary bleacher-style seating at Commencement Lawn. There has been one ceremony in the morning and one in the afternoon. More than 2,000 students total participated in both ceremonies last year, and the university saw about 10,000 visitors throughout the day.
This will be Judy K. Sakaki's first commencement ceremony as President of Sonoma State University.
All cultural commencement celebrations, such as the Latino Commencement Celebration, African-American Commencement Celebration, Asian-American Commencement Celebration, and the LGBTQ Commencement Celebration, will be held on Friday evening, May 19. Students and families may choose to attend these celebrations as well as their School Commencement.
The Commencement schedule is as follows:
Saturday, May 20
9 a.m.
School of Business and Economics
Business Administration and Economics
1 p.m.
School of Science and Technology
Applied Statistics, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer and Engineering Science, Computer Science, Earth Science, Electrical Engineering, Geology, Interdisciplinary Studies/Special Major, Kinesiology, Mathematics, Nursing, Physics, and Statistics
5 p.m.
School of Arts and Humanities
American Multicultural Studies, Art, Art History, Chicano and Latino Studies, Communication Studies, English, Fine Arts, French, Liberal Studies (Hutchins School), Music, Organization Development, Philosophy, Spanish, and Theatre Arts
Sunday, May 21
9 a.m.
School of Social Sciences (part a)
Anthropology, Cultural Resources Management, Counseling, History, Human Development, Political Science, Public Administration, and Psychology
1 p.m.
School of Social Sciences (part b)
Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies, Environmental Studies and Planning, Global Studies, Geography, Liberal Studies - Ukiah, Sociology, and Women's and Gender Studies
5 p.m.
School of Education
Early Childhood Studies, Education, and Teacher Credential Ceremony