Commencements start this weekend
Ceremonies will be taking place virtually and in-person
This year’s commencement season at UC Davis will feature more options for students and their families than ever with both virtual and limited in-person events.
The School of Law will kick things off with an in-person photo opportunity for graduates Friday at King Hall, followed the next morning at 11:00 a.m. by a virtual commencement ceremony featuring California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other speakers.
Bonta served as a state assembly member until being nominated in March to replace Xavier Becerra, who is now secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Bonta, who was sworn in on April 23, is the first Filipino American ever to hold that position and was described by Gov. Gavin Newsom as someone who “has been at the forefront of courageous fights for racial, economic, and environmental justice from day one.”
Also addressing the law graduates at the virtual commencement will be Chancellor Gary S. May, Dean Kevin Johnson, Professor Jasmine E. Harris and student speaker Viktoriya Chebotarev.
The virtual ceremony will mirror the usual commencement: graduates in regalia will join a Zoom ceremony, will hear their names announced, and, if possible, be hooded on camera. The event will be streamed live on Facebook.
The next event will be the School of Veterinary Medicine, which is hosting a small-scale, in-person event on May 21. No guests will be allowed at that event, but it will be live-streamed on the school’s website.
The School of Medicine will hold a virtual commencement the following day on May 22.
Additionally, small events will continue into Zoom.
Students who choose the virtual event can watch interviews with prominent alumni, hear congratulatory remarks from May, watch a video honoring the university’s top graduate and watch a performance by the UC Davis Marching Band.
Those who attend the inperson processional won’t hear speakers or a formal program. Still, they will be able to walk across a stage with two guests to hear their name read aloud in front of a group of campus leaders, as a professional photographer captures the moment. Current plans call for the processional are to be inside The Pavilion.
Other attractions at the event will be on Hutchison Field, including a tent with photo opportunities and another tent organized by the Cal Aggie Alumni Association to celebrate the grads’ new alumni status.
About 4,700 undergraduates have RSVP’d for the in-person event as of the deadline last week. Current coronavirus restrictions have a cap for each processional
set at 300 students, so about five events will be held per day between June 11 and June 13.
Graduate Studies will host a similar in-person event on June 10. Students from the School of Education and the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing are also invited to participate. They will also host separate virtual ceremonies: the School of Education on June 9, the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing on June 10 and Graduate Studies on June 11. The Graduate School of Management will host an inperson ceremony on June 11.
The virtual commencement celebration is on June 12.
Students will still be required to follow health and safety guidelines. Guests must bring a completed COVID-19 vaccination card to the event, while students will have the option of showing proof of a completed COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result for COVID-19 from the previous 72 hours. Any student
traveling from outside California must show proof of vaccination.
More information is available on the commencement website.
At a glance
School of Law — Saturday, May 15 (virtual) School of Veterinary Medicine — Friday, May 21 (limitedscale, in-person) School of Medicine — Saturday, May 22 (virtual) Graduate Studies — Thursday, June 10 (limited-scale, in-person); and Friday, June 11 (virtual) School of Education — Students can participate in Graduate Studies’ in-person event or a separate virtual event Wednesday, June 9 Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing — Students can participate in Graduate Studies’ in-person event or a separate virtual event Thursday, June 10 Undergraduates — Friday-Sunday, June 11-13 (limited-scale, inperson); and Friday, June 11 (virtual) Graduate School of Management — Friday, June 11 (limited-scale, inperson); and Saturday, June 12 (virtual)