Click here to find copies of previous Bear Necessities, our weekly Thursday newsletter.

Make sure to check it out each week, or read the archives to ensure you stay up to date.

We look forward to seeing you and your guests at the MBA Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 19th!  Please review the following reminders:

 

Ceremony Details
Security Protocol
Livestream
Parking
What’s Allowed in the Greek?
Reception
Hand-Me-Gown Program

 

 

Ceremony Details
The MBA Commencement will take place on Friday, May 19th at 2PM at the Greek Theatre.

 

Guests

• All guests (including children and infants) must have a ticket to the ceremony. If you have not picked up your tickets, they will be available in the Program Office during normal business hours and from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM on Friday, May 19. Graduates in regalia do not need tickets.
• Instruct guests to arrive early (gates open at 1:00 PM) and enter through the North Entrance (closer to Hearst Street). Guests needing ADA assistance should enter through the North Entrance. Read more about ADA logistics here.
• For security reasons (see below), only graduates are allowed to sit in the bowl of the Greek Theatre. No guests will be allowed to enter the graduate area or to cross the stage, including children.

 

Graduates

• Graduates, dressed in regalia, need to arrive by 1:00 PM at the South end of the Greek Theater in the Bowles Parking Lot. Only graduates in regalia are allowed in the check in area.
• Proceed to the EWMBA table and pick up a name card to write your name on. You will write your name on this card as you want it to be announced when you walk across the stage.
• List your name and email on the back. This card also serves as a record for the photographer.
• Please allow plenty of time to park (more parking info below).
• There is no special seating order for graduates. You will be in a single file line when the ceremony begins, so line up with the person you wish to sit with.
• All graduates will stay for the entire ceremony, which ends at approximately 4:00 PM.
• Weather can be unpredictable. Check the weather and advise your guests to dress appropriately as the Greek Theatre is not covered. On a sunny day your black gowns can get rather warm. The Greek Theater has uneven surfaces so consider your footwear choices carefully.

 

Security Protocol
Guests

• All guests entering the Greek Theatre will be required to walk through metal detectors. Please ensure that guests arrive early enough to allow for this security step.

 

Graduates

• Starting at 1:45 PM, students will be asked to line up and begin making their way through the metal detectors.
• While the stadium has numerous metal detectors at the entrance, and the security staff will ensure the process is as speedy as possible, guests should allocate additional time to enter the theater.
• To help ensure the procession moves efficiently, please make sure to limit what you have in your pockets. Any purse or bag will also be searched so please plan accordingly.
• Remember, the processional will start promptly at 2:00 PM.

 

Livestream
The commencement ceremony will be livestreamed. The link will be posted on the Commencement website next week and can be shared with family and friends who aren’t able to attend. The ceremony will also be recorded and available to watch a few days after the ceremony from the same link. Please click here for the link to the livestream.

 

Parking
General parking will be available in the Foothill Lot (on Cyclotron Road, east of Highland Avenue) and the 2nd floor of Lower Hearst Structure (at the corner of Hearst Ave and Gayley Rd). The cost will be $11.00 (credit card only).*Please visit the commencement website for more information.

* Please note that these prices are subject to change

 

Your Spring MBA Semester “S” permits are valid on Commencement Day, following normal parking permit rules, e.g. in the “S” lots Underhill and Foothill after 3:30PM, pay the public parking rate to cover you until 3:30PM. Please review the rules on the Parking FAQ page.

 

Do not park in the Berkeley Law Lot. The Stadium Parking Lot next to Bowles/Memorial Stadium is a paid public lot and generally has a higher flat event rate.

 

What’s Allowed in the Greek?
Allowed:

• Small umbrellas for sun or rain
• Empty metal water bottles

NOT Allowed:

• Strollers (there will be stroller parking at both entrances)
• Coolers or ice chests
• Large blankets
• Tobacco products
• Noisemakers
• Large signs
• Alcoholic beverages
• Bicycles
• Skateboards
• Large bags or backpacks (purses are fine, though they may be searched)
• Pets
• Balloons (may be tied up and left at entrance)
• Streamers
• Confetti
• Glitter

 

Haas Reception
The ceremony will be followed by a reception from 4:00-5:30 PM in the Haas Courtyard. Everyone is welcome to attend. Tickets are not required.

Hand-Me-Gown Program
Graduates are encouraged to donate their gowns and hoods to the Class of 2024. Look for the blue bins at the reception to deposit your gently used regalia.

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Also, this information and more details are available on our website!

 

See you next Friday!

 

Sincerely,

Evening & Weekend MBA Program Office
Haas School of Business
University of California, Berkeley

Please see below for important action items for Commencement 2023.

Commencement Questionnaire (includes Ceremony Ticket Request)
Haas Commencement Reception
Check your name in the Commencement Program
Additional Information

Commencement Questionnaire

To streamline communications, we collect “exit” information concurrently with commencement ticket requests. This questionnaire includes several questions from CMG BEARS that review your time at Haas and your career progression, and concludes with commencement ceremony ticket requests.

The CMG BEARS questions are crucial for two reasons:

1. We need to gather as much career and salary data as possible to remain compliant with new standards for reporting outcomes from part-time MBA Programs across the country, which will be required for Haas to remain a top ranked business school. This is a critical step you can take to enhance the Haas brand.
2. We continue to receive requests from Evening & Weekend MBA students for an Employment Report, similar to that created for the Full Time MBA program. We haven’t been able to do this to date, owing to lack of data from the class. By completing this survey, you will help move us forward in this process – so thank you in advance!

All data collected will be entered into your profile in CMG BEARS, where it will remain confidential when used in aggregate searches by other EWMBA students.

Complete the questionnaire and request commencement tickets here by end of day Sunday, April 16 at 11:59PM. It is essential to complete the questionnaire by this deadline, as the Program office cannot guarantee tickets for late submissions.

All guests attending the Commencement Ceremony at the Greek Theater will be required to have a ticket (including children and infants). Tickets are free of charge, and will be available for pick up in the beginning of May in the EWMBA Program Office during business hours. If you are attending WE Lead, you may also pick up your tickets at the event on Sunday, May 14. In order to avoid last minute problems, please request a ticket for anyone you think may come – we would rather give you more than you need than not enough! Graduates in a cap and gown will not need a ticket.

Click here for more information about the Commencement Ceremony.

Haas Commencement Reception

The ceremony at the Greek Theatre will be followed by a reception from 4:00-5:30PM in the Haas Courtyard. All of your guests are welcome to attend.

No tickets are needed to attend the Haas Reception, though in the questionnaire we ask for the number of your guests to help us with planning for the event.

Check your name in the Commencement Program

We will be printing a Commencement Program that includes the names of students who started with the Class of 2023 in August 2020 as well students from other classes expecting to graduate in May 2023, Aug 2023, or Dec 2023. As a default, we will list your legal first name, middle name, and last name.

To ensure that your name is listed as you’d like it to appear, please review your name on this spreadsheet. If you want to make any changes, follow the instructions as indicated on the spreadsheet. The deadline is Sunday, April 16 at 11:59PM 

Please note that this is different from what will appear on your diploma. Your diploma will list your legal first and last name as recorded in CalCentral.

Additional Information

• If you haven’t already, record the pronunciation of your name for EWMBA Commencement in NameCoach. Look for an email with the subject line: “EWMBA Commencement 2023 NameCoach Name Registration” and follow the instructions to record your name.
• Thanks again to those who voted for the Student Speaker and the four Commencement Awards. The Student Speaker will be announced in this week’s  Bear Necessities and the Commencement Awards will be announced/awarded at WE Lead on Saturday, May 13.
• Don’t forget to order your cap and gown! More information about this can be found on our website

Thank you and we look forward to celebrating with you!

Dear Class of 2023,

We have several updates for you on Commencement Activities!  Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations for the EW Student Speaker and for the Commencement Awards!

Commencement Awards and Student Speaker Voting

Ticket Info

Record your Name for EWMBA Commencement in NameCoach

Reminders

 

Commencement Awards and Speaker Voting

Voting is now open for our four Commencement Awards and for the Commencement Student Speaker. Please complete the Commencement 2023 Voting survey by Sunday, April 2 at 11:59PM.

You will be voting on the following:

1. Rank your top 2 candidates for your Class of 2023 Commencement Speaker (click the link to see list of names and to read their statements).
2. Vote for the Class of 2023 Commencement Awards (click the link to see reasons why your peers were nominated).

The class speaker will be announced in early April and the Commencement Award winners will be announced at WE Lead in May.  Please note you may only vote once on this survey, and you may not forward this link to anyone else to take.

Ticket Info

More information about getting commencement ceremony tickets will go out the week of April 3rd. You will be asked to:

1. Answer important questions that are designed to help CMG and Admissions collect accurate statistics on the accomplishments of your class.
2. Fill out a questionnaire in which you will request the number of tickets you need for the ceremony. Keep in mind, all guests (including infants) will need tickets.
3. Indicate the number of people you would like to have attend the Commencement Reception, which takes place after the ceremony at Haas.

There is no cost for either the Commencement Ceremony or the Commencement Reception, but accurate counts are needed.

Record your Name for EWMBA Commencement in NameCoach

To help Commencement name readers, Jamie Breen and Mark Gorenflo, read your names correctly at Commencement, we are asking you to record your name on NameCoach.

 

You should have received an email with the subject line: “NameCoach Name Registration”. Please follow the instructions to record your name.

Reminders

• Check the Commencement Website and Checklist for information about the Commencement Ceremony and stay up to date with any to-do items!
• Beyond Yourself Fellows – If you are interested in being recognized as a Beyond Yourself Fellow, don’t forget to submit your volunteer hours in the Service Hours Directory by Friday, April 14 at 11:59PM. Click here for more information.

Thank you!

The Haas School of Business is pleased to announce that Visa’s Chief Marketing Officer Frank Cooper III, BS 86, will serve as the Berkeley Haas commencement speaker for the Full-Time MBA and Evening & Weekend MBA Class of 2023. The joint commencement ceremony will be held at the Greek Theatre onFriday, May 19 at 2pm.

Frank Cooper III

A branding and advertising leader, Cooper leads Visa’s marketing across all regions and functions, including brand, data and insights, social and digital platforms, content, and sponsorships. Cooper, recognized by Fast Company as one of the “100 Most Creative People in Business,” describes himself as “a marketer in the broadest sense: I seek to change things—change ways of thinking but more important to change behaviors.”

Prior to working at Visa, Cooper served as chief marketing officer at BlackRock, shaping the firm’s global brand and marketing strategy.

Cooper has also previously held C-suite positions as chief marketing and creative officer at Buzzfeed, and as PepsiCo’s chief marketing officer of global consumer engagement for more than 12 years. Cooper also served as former chairman of the American Advertising Federation and on the for-profit boards of Burlington Stores and Ogmento/Flyby Media.

He began his career as an entertainment lawyer and was a senior executive at Motown and Def Jam. He is a four-time recipient of Billboard’s “Power 100” and AdColor’s “Legend” award.

He earned an undergraduate degree in business administration at UC Berkeley, and a JD from Harvard Law School, where he served as the Supreme Court Editor of The Harvard Law Review.

For more information about the Commencement Ceremony, visit our Commencement Website.

You are receiving this email because you are eligible to participate in the May 2023 Commencement Ceremony. If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please reply to this email.

Hello Class of 2023,

Congratulations! You’re almost done with your MBA! Please see below for some important information about the upcoming May 2023 Commencement events.

Commencement Ceremony Overview

Date: Friday May 19, 2023
Time: 2:00-4:00PM
Location: Greek Theatre, UC Berkeley

Please bookmark our Commencement website and continue to reference it for important information about the ceremony.

Commencement Ceremony Tickets: 

Tickets will be required for all guests (including children and infants) attending the ceremony. The tickets are free. We will be reaching out to you in early Spring semester to request the number of tickets you need for all of your guests.

Reception: 

The ceremony will be followed by a reception from 4:00-5:30 PM in the Haas Courtyard. More information about the reception will be available in early Spring semester.

Visa Support Letters:

Graduating students may request a visa support letter for family members traveling internationally to attend graduation. Once a request is submitted, our office will email you the letter within 10 business days.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you and congratulations! We look forward to celebrating with you soon!

Avni and the EWMBA Program Office Team