In less then a month Ventura County’s Community Colleges will hold their commencement ceremonies, where more students of the Class of 2009 than ever will be able to participate
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Oxnard College will have about half of its graduating 804 students participating in its May 20 commencement exercises.
“Commencement is a ceremony that not only celebrates our students, but also gives students an opportunity to honor faculty members that have been instrumental in contributing to their success,” said Oxnard College registrar Susan Cabral, who chairs the Graduation Planning Committee. “We hope that our faculty will join President Duran and his administrative staff in sharing this momentous occasion with their students at the Oxnard College commencement ceremony.”
Within the next two weeks four students will audition as the keynote speaker at the May 20th ceremony, representing the class of 2009. A committee of college faculty and staff will make the final selection
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A required rehearsal for graduates will be held at noon on May 20th at the Oxnard College Gymnasium, according to Cathy Garnica of the College.
The ceremony itself begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Athletic Field Complex. The faculty procession will be led by mace bearer Scott Corbett. Once entering the gates to the track area, faculty will fan out along both sides of the walkway allowing graduates to pass between for short handshakes and acknowledgements.
OCTV will be cable casting the graduation ceremony live on Time Warner, Channel 15 and Fios, Channel 33. Web casting can be seen at www.oxnardcollege.edu.
Ventura College will kick off its graduation festivities early with a Graduation Breakfast on May 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. for graduates and their families, according to Public Relations officer Alisa Moore.
“We have more than 1,300 eligible to receive AA/AS degrees and Certificates,” said Moore. “Last year almost 500 walked in graduation and we expect at least that many this year. Our speakers are Dr. Robin Calote, President of VC, Robert Huber, Board Chair, any other board members who wish to address the gathering, the Academic Senate President Peter Sezzi, the Classified Senate President Barbara Cogert, and the Student Government President Nancy Pham.”
The Commencement March and Ceremony line up starts at 12:45 p.m., and the Commencement event itself starts at 1:30 p.m.A Graduation Reception immediately follows the ceremony at 3:00 p.m. on the lawn behind Guthrie Hall with music and refreshments.
The Ceremony is taped by CAPS TV and students can purchase the DVD and it is also webcast live. The link will be on the Ventura College website.
Moorpark College’s Commencement is scheduled for May 21 at 5:30 p.m. in the Campus Quad, with a rehearsal at 10:30 a.m. the same day at the quad. The Commencement speaker will be Dr. Richard Rush, President of California State University, Channel Islands.
This year, MC will allow transferring students to walk this year in Commencement, according to Judi Gould of the Career/Transfer Center.
“This is the first time they have been able to do it,” said Gould. “Last year, there was a separate transfer ceremony. It’s really nicer for them to walk in cap and gown, and we’re very excited about that.”
Over 1,000 students transfer from MC every year. These students will also have two new opportunities in addition to Commencement.
Gould said that transfer students will be able to attend the college’s Transfer Social, on May 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Campus Quad. Transfer students will be able to drop in at any time to avail themselves of a free pizza lunch, and will be able to meet attending college representatives along with faculty to celebrate the student’s acheivements.
“We will have college representives there for students to help decide where they want to transfer to,” Gould said.
In addition, transferring students will be honored on the new Transfer “Wall of Fame” in Fountain Hall.
Gould calls it a fun way to honor students and to serve as an inspiration for future transferring students.
Those interested in finding a place on the wall, attending the social, and marching in Commencement should visit the Career/Transfer Center in FH-110 as soon as possible to acquire the needed forms.
MC Political Science major Thomas Bingham, who is transferring to California Lutheran University, has decided to march in Commencement.
“I was at first against it, but I decided that my family would like it,” Bingham. “After all I did spend 3 years at MC and I might as well have something to show for it.”
