Cal State Long Beach changes course, will have in-person commencement at Angel Stadium

Cal State Long Beach will hold in-person commencement ceremonies this year to celebrate the graduates of 2020 and 2021.

The university announced in a Friday, March 26, email to graduates that Angel Stadium, in Anaheim, will host the ceremonies from May 28 to 31.

Representatives for nearby Cal State Dominguez Hills did not immediately respond to a request for comment on their commencement plans.

The news was a switch from CSULB’s previous plans for drive-thru celebrations, and the email said the change was due to a poll the university’s Commencement Team conducted of graduates’ preferred location.

“By a 6:1 margin, graduates in the Classes of 2020 and 2021 asked that we pursue an in-person option for graduation ceremonies,” the email said. “Based on these results and under the new Outdoor Stadium Live Performance public health guidelines, we are planning a pivot from drive-through commencement ceremonies to in-person ceremonies.”

To comply with coronavirus restrictions, tickets will be required to attend, and people must stay in their seats throughout the program, the email said.

Students will also be distributed across multiple stadium levels, the email said, so “there will be no processional, recessional, or stage-walking for graduates inside the stadium.”

Families who aren’t allowed inside the stadium can watch from the parking lot.

Graduates who can’t or would prefer not to attend in-person can also celebrate virtually, including with a livestream of the ceremonies.

The new schedule of ceremonies is:

• College of Engineering: 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 28;
• College of Liberal Arts: 5 p.m. Friday, May 28;
• College of the Arts: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 29;
• College of Health & Human Services: 5 p.m. Saturday, May 29;
• College of Education: 9:30 a.m. Sunday, May 30;
• College of Business: 5 p.m. Sunday, May 30; and
• College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics; 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 31.

Cal State Long Beach spokesman Jeff Cook said the email provides all of the information the university currently has on its plans, but officials will keep graduates updated as more details become available.

Source: Orange County Register