Commencement Info for Parents

Information for Families and Guests

• Important Dates
• Lodging
• Logistics: Getting to Chico, Parking and Seating
• Disabled and Elderly Parking and Seating
• Chico Weather Information and Heat Safety
• Medical Emergencies
• The Commencement Ceremony
• Remembering the Day
• Chico Resources

Important Dates: Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies and Celebrations

Chico State has two official
Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies:

Saturday, May 22, 2010*

College of Agriculture
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
College of Business
College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management

Sunday, May 23, 2010*

College of Communication and Education (including Liberal Studies)
College of Humanities and Fine Arts
International and Interdisciplinary Studies (includes Latin American Studies, Asian Studies, Jewish Studies, Special Majors, and Multicultural and Gender Studies)
College of Natural Sciences

* Ceremonies begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. in
University Stadium and will be held rain or shine.

Statium Maps

Special Ceremonies

Thursday, May 20, 2010:

Asian Graduation Celebration

Tickets Required: NO
Location: Ruth Rowland Taylor - PAC 134, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Contact: Tray Robinson, 530-898-4764, trobinson-at-csuchico-dot-edu

Recognition of Credential Candidates - School of Education

Tickets Required: YES
Location: Laxson Auditorium, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Contact: Maggie Payne, CME Associate Dean: 530-898-4570; mpayne-at-csuchico-dot-edu

Friday, May 21, 2010:

ECC Graduation Celebration:
Engineering, Computer Science and Construction Management

Tickets Required: YES
Location: Laxson Auditorium, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Contact: ECC-5963 Terry Battle-4898, tbattle-at-csuchico-dot-edu

Nurses Pinning:

Tickets Required: NO
Location: Bell Memorial Auditorium (BMU), 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Contact: Dorene Gibson: 530-898-5891, dlgibson-at-csuchico-dot-edu

Graduate - Master’s Degree Ceremony

Tickets Required: YES
Location: Laxson Auditorium, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Contact: Diana Parks : 530-898-6049, drparks-at-csuchico-dot-edu

Saturday, May 22, 2010:

Latino Commencement Celebration

Tickets Required: YES
Location: Laxson Auditorium, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Contact: Carol Robinson, 530-898-6831, crobinson-at-csuchico-dot-edu

Black Commencement Celebration

Tickets Required: NO
Location: Performing Arts Center - Harlen Adams (PAC 144)
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Contact: Tray Robinson, 898-4764, trobinson-at-csuchico-dot-edu

Lodging

Be sure to book lodging reservations early as all hotels and motels fill quickly for commencement weekend. View a list of local hotels.

The residence halls will not be renting out rooms for Commencement.

Logistics

MapQuest Directions to Chico

Airport Information: Chico Municipal Airport ; Sacramento International Airport

Parking on Campus
Public parking is available in all lots on campus, including the reserved parking lots, with the exception of the Student Health Center Parking lot and the University Stadium lot, which have been reserved for handicapped/elderly parking. Click here for a Chico State parking lot map.

Ceremony Seating in University Stadium
We suggest that your guests come early the morning of commencement to take advantage of the best parking and stadium seating. University Stadium will open at 7:30 a.m. the day of the ceremony. Guests should bring hats, since the stadium is in the direct sun and can be quite warm and there are no shaded areas available. As there is no reserved seating , guests are advised to arrive early to get seats of their choice. No tickets are needed to get into the stadium.

Disabled and Elderly Parking and Seating

The Student Health Center parking lot and the entire University Stadium lot have been designated for disabled and elderly parking. There will also be one shuttle cart going back and forth from the parking structure on 2nd and Ivy Streets that you can flag down for a ride to the arena. There are designated waiting areas for the shuttle or it can be flagged down.

Limited ground-level seating is available on both sides of the stadium for guests who cannot use bleacher seating due to physical disabilities. This area is only for the elderly and disabled. One person may accompany the guest with the disability . Other family members are advised to arrive early for choice seating in both the bleachers and ground-level seating. Please know the special seating area also gets filled up and crowded.

Please note there are no wheelchairs available and if you feel you might need one, please consider renting one for the day. For disability-related accommodations please call (530) 898-5959.

When the ceremony is over there won't be any assistance to help people exit. It probably is best you just have patience, enjoy, and wait for the crowd to thin. There is a shuttle to the parking structure, which will be available for 30 minutes after the ceremony.

Chico Weather Information and Heat Safety

Commencement ceremonies are held outside, and temperatures are often in the 90's. To prepare for these warm conditions, please refer to our heat safety web site or check out the local weather report. Bottled water is sold in the stadium as a scholarship fundraiser for the Chico State Alumni Association's Chico Chapter.

Medical Emergencies

University Police Officers will be on hand to provide any needed assistance, and a life-support vehicle and two bicycle EMT's will be available for emergency situations.

The Commencement Ceremony

The Commencement Ceremony lasts approximately two hours. Candidates will sit in designated areas according to college. Follow the links for University Stadium maps showing college seating layout for Saturday and Sunday. Each candidate will walk across the platform as his or her name is read and will be congratulated by the dean of the college. Out of respect to all the candidates and their families and guests, we ask that you remain in your seats until the conclusion of the ceremony.

Remembering the Day

Students participating in the undergraduate ceremonies will receive a commemorative program listing the names of all candidates eligible for graduation. Guests attending the ceremony will receive a day program listing speakers and the order of the ceremony and no commemorative programs will be sold or otherwise available.

Each candidate's photo will be taken by Chappell Studios photography twice during the ceremony, once before the student walks on stage, and once on the stage as the student shakes the hand of his or her college dean. Candidates can pre-register for their photo proofs by visiting the Chappell Website at http://www.gradimages.com/register.cfm. Enter "Chico" as the school name.

Purchase a DVD of the ceremony.