2011 Commencement Schedule

Commencement exercises for the Class of 2011 at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will be held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 10-12. Commencements will be hosted by UCSC's 10 colleges and the Graduate Division. A number of less formal celebrations, beginning June 9, are also planned to honor graduates.

The campus press release contains information on number of students expected to earn degrees.

A web feature also profiles 10 extraordinary members of the Class of 2011. See our 10 Grads in 10 Days feature.


Commencement Exercises: June 10-12

Friday, June 10

  • Graduate Division

    4:30 p.m. East Field. Keynote speaker will be alumnus  Alexander Gonzalez, psychology, M.S., Ph.D. 1979, President, California State University, Sacramento. 

Saturday, June 11

  • Merrill College

     9:30 a.m. East Field. Keynote speaker will be alumnus Ricky Bluthenthal, Merrill '86.

  • Porter College

     9 a.m. Lower West Field. UCSC faculty speakers will be Dard Newman, Hasan Endowed Chair in Classical Indian Music, Asst. Professor, Department of Music, and Kate Edmunds, Assoc. Professor, Theater Arts (Design).

  • Cowell College

    1:30 p.m. East Field. Keynote speaker will be alumnus Bill Dickinson, Cowell '68, founder of the Smith Renaissance Society.

  • College Eight

     1 p.m. Lower West Field. Keynote speaker will be Deepak Ahuja, Chief Financial Officer, Tesla Motors.

  • Oakes College

     5 p.m. West Field. Keynote speaker will be alumna Eden Jequinto, Oakes '04, co-founder of E2

  • Kresge College

     5:30 p.m. East Field. Keynote speaker will be Bettina Aptheker, UCSC Professor of Feminist Studies and History.

Sunday, June 12

  • Crown College

     9 a.m. East Field. Keynote speaker will be Nancy Cox-Konopelski, Director, UCSC Academic Excellence Program.

  • College Nine

    9:30 a.m. Lower West Field. Keynote speaker will be Bill Monning, California Assemblymember, 27th Assembly District.

  • College Ten

     1:30 p.m. Lower West Field. Keynote speaker will be Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

  • Stevenson College

  •  1 p.m. East Field. Keynote speaker will be alumnus John Laird, Stevenson '72, California Secretary for Natural Resources.


Graduation Celebrations:* June 9-12

Thursday, June 9

  • GLBT: 4 p.m., Women's Center. (831) 459-4385.

Friday, June 10

  • Environmental studies: 10 a.m., UCSC Farm. (831) 459-4837.
  • Linguistics: 11:30 a.m., Stevenson Lounge. (831) 459-4988.
  • Feminist studies: 11 a.m., Humanities 1 Building, Room 210. (831) 459-2461.
  • Physics: 1 p.m., Interdisciplinary Sciences Building Courtyard. (831) 459-3744.
  • Psychology: 1 p.m., Namaste Lounge. (831) 459-2002.
  • Biology Year End Celebration: 1:30 p.m., Upper East Field (831) 459-4143
  • Politics: 1:30 p.m., Merrill Provost House. (831) 459-2505.
  • Community studies: 1 p.m., Oakes Learning Center. (831) 459-2371.
  • Film and digital media: 2 p.m., Communications Courtyard. (831) 459-3204.
  • Asian American/Pacific Islander: 2 p.m., Music Center Recital Hall. (831) 459-5349.
  • History of art and visual culture: 2 p.m., Porter Koi Pond. (831) 459-4564.
  • African American: 5 p.m.,Stevenson Event Center. (831) 459-3207.
  • Theater arts: 7 p.m., Media Theater. (831) 459-4075.

Saturday, June 11

  • Earth and planetary sciences: 3 p.m., Earth and Marine Sciences Building, Room B206. (831) 459-2504.

Sunday, June 12

  • Chicano/Latino: 4:30 p.m., Upper East Field. (831) 459-5449.
  • Baskin School of Engineering:  4 p.m., Engineering Courtyard. Keynote speaker will be JoeBen Bevirt, entrepreneur and mechanical engineer. 

* For more information about access to additional graduation celebrations, please call referring phone number.