Fresno State’s university-wide commencement is no more.
In an email to students, Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro announced that the university would no longer host its main commencement, citing a vast decline in participation.
“Attendance at the main commencement ceremony — both in terms of the number of graduates and the number of guests — had steadily declined over the past five years,” Castro said in an email. “In May, only 703 graduates out of the class of almost 6,000 participated in the main commencement.”
According to the university, only two of the 23 California State University campuses will host university-wide ceremonies in 2020.
Despite cancelling the main ceremony, Fresno State will confer its degrees at college or school-specific ceremonies, with honorary doctoral degrees conferred at the nearest-relevant school-specific ceremony.
The honorees of the President’s Medal and University Graduate Medal will be recognized at a dinner held a week before commencement ceremonies.
Some students took to Twitter to express disappointment in the news.
really disappointed in @Fresno_State decision to cancel the big commencement. i had honestly planned on only attending that one and not the smaller, department-based one. a huge shame.— kj (@KayJ12) January 24, 2020
Meanwhile, the university’s commencement schedule for its various departments was also released:
Friday, May 15 Ceremonies · Save Mart Center
8 a.m. – Craig School of Business
10:15 a.m. – College of Social Sciences
12:30 p.m. – College of Arts and Humanities
2:45 p.m. – Jordan College of Agriculture Sciences and Technology
5 p.m. – College of Science and Mathematics
7:15 p.m. – Kremen School of Education and Human Development
Saturday, May 16 Ceremonies · Save Mart Center
8 a.m. – Lyles College of Engineering
10:15 a.m. – College of Health and Human Services
12:30 p.m. – Asian American and Pacific Islander graduation
3 p.m. – African American recognition program
7 p.m. – Chicano/Latino Commencement Celebration
