The Business Administration Major Haas Commencement
Participating in the Ceremony
The Haas School of Business holds a commencement ceremony at the end of each Spring semester. Undergraduate Business Majors who are completing degree requirements in Spring or Summer are expected to attend the Commencement ceremony in the year in which they graduate.
Majors who are completing degree requirements in Fall have the option of attending the ceremony the Spring semester before or after they graduate. Students do not need to let the Undergraduate Program Office know if they are planning on participating.
Commencement Speakers
Alumni entrepreneurs Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez, BS 09, co-founders of Back to the Roots, will serve as our 2018 Commencement speakers. Back to the Roots started with an idea for urban mushroom farming—an idea that formed in one of their Haas classes. The Oakland-based company quickly expanded to sell mushroom farm kits, aqua farms, and home herb gardens at retailers from Costco to Whole Foods. Today, the company also provides low-sugar, organic breakfast cereals to public schools in New York and six other cities.
Ceremony
The Commencement ceremony will be held at the Hearst Greek Theatre on Monday, May 14, 2018 at 9:00am.
GRADUATES DO NOT NEED TICKETS.
You may invite an unlimited number of guests to the ceremony (tickets are $5.00 each, children under 5 are free but must have a ticket). Tickets can be purchased through the following ways: On-line at https://secure-tickets.berkeley.edu/single/eventDetail.aspx?p=13309; by phone at 510/642-9988; at the Ticket Office at Zellerbach Hall (Tuesday-Friday. 12:00pm-5:30pm, Saturday-Sunday. 1:00pm-5:00pm) as well as at the Greek Theatre on Monday, May 14th beginning at 8:00am until 10:00am. All persons entering the Greek Theatre need a ticket. Children 5 and under are free, but must have a ticket. TICKETS GO ON SALE BEGINNING APRIL 17TH.
The gates to the Greek Theatre will open at 8:00am for Families, Guests and Graduates. Families and Guests need to enter through the North Gate and Graduates through the South Gate. Families and Guests in wheelchairs and that have difficulty climbing stairs should also enter through the South Gate.
Graduates should proceed to the back stage area to fill out a name card, specifying how they would like their name read. The graduates will be in single file when they leave the back stage area and should stand either in front of or behind the person they wish to sit with.
At 9:00 am the music will begin and the graduates will march out to the seating area. The ceremony will proceed as listed in the program: Commencement Address, acknowledgement of the Departmental Citation Winner, Culture Award Winners and Student Speaker. After the Student Speaker, each graduate will walk across the stage to have his or her name read by the Assistant Dean and Faculty, receive a scroll, and have a picture taken with the Dean before proceeding back to the seating area. The ceremony will last approximately two hours.
Greek Theatre Prohibited Items
Please review this list of prohibited items before visiting the Greek Theatre (.pdf).
Reception
A Reception will be held at the O’Donnell Courtyard at Haas immediately following the ceremony from approximately 10:30 to noon. You may enter the Reception free by wearing your cap and gown. Your guests should show their Commencement Program at the entrance to the Reception for admission.
Honoring Your Student
Parents and guardians can honor your graduating student with a donation to Berkeley Haas. These gifts will be recognized on our Honor Roll of Donors displayed during the Commencement Reception in the O’Donnell Courtyard at Haas immediately following the graduation ceremony.
Gifts to Berkeley Haas from parents, alumni, students, and friends support our world-class faculty, student scholarships, career services, experiential learning opportunities, and much more. Thank you for embodying the “Beyond Yourself” Defining Leadership Principle!
Please make your gift by Monday, May 7 to ensure you and your student are recognized on the Honor Roll of Donors.
Cap and Gown Information
https://commencement.berkeley.edu/getting-ready
Commencement-Related Merchandise
Photographer
Grad Images will be taking photographs of each graduate as they are given their scroll and as they are congratulated by the Dean. Please see their web site at http://www.gradimages.com/universityofcaliforniaberkeley.
Handicapped Parking and Seating
If your guest has a Handicapped Parking Placard (graduate or guest), you can purchase parking at the entrance to the Bowles Hall lot (adjacent to the south side of the Greek Theatre). If you or your guest doesn’t have a Handicapped Parking Placard, you can ask the attendant at the entrance to the Bowles Hall lot to let you in to drop off your guest(s).
In addition, if your guest(s) need either wheelchair seating or have difficulty climbing stairs, please e-mail Elinor Gregorio (elinor@berkeley.edu). Please provide their name as well as the number of guests that will be sitting with them. Be advised that seating in the wheelchair area is limited to 2 guests in addition to the guest in the wheelchair. The deadline to make these requests is May 4th.
Rain or Shine
The Commencement ceremony and reception will be held in the locations designated above rain or shine.
Complete the “Career Destinations” Survey
Use this link and tell us about what you’re doing after graduation – we’re interested even if you’re still looking for a job or have other plans! By completing this survey, you have a chance to win an i-pad mini and other prizes. This data is crucial to communicating to alumni, recruiters, and future students what people do with the Haas degree. It may also be used for business school ranking purposes – rankings help maintain the value of your degree, so it’s in your best interest to reply.
Videos
Video Recording of the 2018 Graduation Ceremony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQjkEkgdjsM
Video Recording of the 2017 Graduation Ceremony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP8JFy9ljcg
Video Recording of the 2016 Graduation Ceremony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b7w8kgZAiA
Video Recording of the 2015 Graduation Ceremony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F63rX85eHEM
Driving to and Parking at UC Berkeley for Commencement
Directions from points North of UC Berkeley
Take Interstate 80 west to University Avenue. Exit at University Avenue and drive east, towards the hills, until you reach Oxford Street. Make a left turn onto Oxford Street. Take Oxford Street to Hearst Avenue. Turn right onto Hearst Avenue. Take Take Hearst Avenue to Gayley Road. Turn right onto Gayley Road. As you continue on Gayley Road, you will see the Greek Theatre on your left hand side.
Directions from points South of UC Berkeley
Take either 101 north to Interstate 80 east or 880 north to Interstate 80 east. Exit at University Avenue and drive east, towards the hills, until you reach Oxford Street. Make a left turn onto Oxford Street. Take Oxford Street to Hearst Avenue. Turn right onto Hearst Avenue. Take Hearst Avenue to Gayley Road. Turn right onto Gayley Road. As you continue on Gayley Road, you will see the Greek Theatre on your left hand side.
Directions from points East of UC Berkeley
Take Highway 24 west to Telegraph Avenue. Exit at Telegraph Avenue and drive north until you reach Dwight Way. Turn right onto Dwight Way. Take Dwight Way to Piedmont Avenue. Turn left onto Piedmont Avenue. Stay on Piedmont Avenue until it becomes Gayley Road (just north of Bancroft Way). You will see the Haas School of Business on your left (one block north of Bancroft Way). On your right will be Memorial Stadium and Maxwell Family Field. As you continue on Gayley Road, you will see the Greek Theatre on your right hand side (one block north of the Haas School of Business).
Parking and Transportation Resources
UC Berkeley Parking and Transportation Graduation Website
http://pt.berkeley.edu/special-events/commencement-ceremonies
Maxwell Garage (New Privately Operated Stadium Structure)
http://www.maxwellgarage.com