Nearly 5,000 eligible for Commencement

End-of-the-year activities for the Class of 2007 at California State University, Fresno are under way today (May 18) as students head toward the 96th Commencement at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 19, at the Save Mart Center.

A variety of convocations and celebrations are taking place throughout the day and Saturday on the campus. (See link to schedule, below)

Nearly 5,000 students are eligible for conferral of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, which will be conferred at the ceremony Saturday by President John D. Welty.

The Division of Student Affairs reports 4,197 students completed their work in the summer, fall or spring semesters and are eligible for bachelor’s degrees and 748 students are eligible for master's degrees. Additionally, 10 students will receive the doctoral degree. There are 16 students graduating in special majors.

The summa cum laude distinction (“with highest praise” GPA 3.9 to 4.0) was earned by 127 students. Twenty-three baccalaureate students earned all A’s.

Typically about 1,400-plus students participate in Commencement on Saturday morning. Many will participate in the various school/college convocation and/or department and program celebrations on Friday, May 18, including the Hooding Ceremony that night for graduate students. Other celebrations are scheduled Saturday afternoon and evening. (See links below for full Commencement schedule and related news releases).

The Kennel Bookstore is on target to sell 2,500 bachelor’s cap and gown sets and 600 master’s sets this year. Last year’s official guest attendance at commencement was 7,979, reports Gary Nelson, the university’s commencement coordinator in the Division of Student Affairs.

A special feature of Commencement is awarding the university’s top two student awards – the President’s Medal to the top undergraduate, announced Saturday morning, and the University Graduate Medal winners, announced Friday night. Eighteen Dean’s Medalists will be honored. (See link below for information and photos of medalists).

A moment of silence will be observed in recognition of recent tragedies involving university students – the shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16 and a shooting near Fresno State on May 7.

Posthumous degrees will be awarded to Nazar James Kitch in business administration with an entrepreneurship option, and to Harsimran Pal Singh in electrical Engineering. Both were victims of vehicle accidents during the school year.

The flags of 67 countries will again adorn the Commencement stage representing the homelands of Fresno State’s international students. The National Anthem will be sung by Jennie L. Gray. Karina Mares will lead the new alumni in singing the Alma Mater to close the ceremony. Both are graduating music majors.

The California State University and Fresno State will confer honorary doctoral degrees on alumni Malinda Pennoyer Chouinard, co-founder of Patagonia sportswear, and Roy Christopher, the eight-time Emmy winner and designer of 17 Academy Awards telecasts.

Chouinard will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters for helping her company become a model of environmental preservation, corporate responsibility and policies that help working mothers. She earned a bachelor’s degree in art in 1969 and a secondary teaching credential in 1970.

Christopher will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts. One of the most respected and honored production designers in the entertainment industry, Christopher earned his bachelor’s degree in theatre arts from Fresno State in 1957 and his master’s in 1961. He has won eight Emmys for his television work and awards also for theater design.
Trustees Peter Mehas, Andrew LaFlamme and Jennifer Reimer will represent the CSU. The CSU’s Wang Family Excellence Award in Education, Professional and Applied Sciences will presented to Dr. Timothy Stearns, a Craig School of Business professor and director of the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Fresno State.

Multi-camera live event video coverage will be provided on giant screens for several of the events -- on Friday, the Kremen School and Craig School of Business convocations and the Graduate Hooding; on Saturday, the main University Commencement and the Latino Commencement Celebration. DVD copies of this video coverage may be purchased. Details: 559.278.4668.

Among the milestones of the various events is the University Migrant Services/College Assistance Migrant Program Graduation Celebration, which will include more than 100 graduates for the first time in its 20-year history at Fresno State.

Convocations celebrate achievement