Cal State Long Beach next week expects to confer a record of more than 10,000 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees for the 2015-16 academic year, the university said.
That figure is about 700 more than last year, said university spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp.
Graduation commencements from the university’s eight colleges will last four days, from May 17 to May 20. All ceremonies will take place in the campus’ Central Quadrangle. Traffic in the area will not be adversely impacted due to extra people attending the graduation ceremonies, Uhlenkamp said.
“Commencement is the best time of year on campus as students have who have put in so much effort are joined by their family and friends in the recognition of one of life’s great milestones,” University President Jane Close Conoley said in a statement. “This year’s commencement includes a record number of graduates, and I look forward to shaking their hands and celebrating with them.”
CSULB officials said minority students are graduating at a higher rate. CSULB is among 52 four-year public universities across the country succeeding at reducing graduation rate differences between underrepresented students and the rest of the school, according to a March report from the Education Trust, a national nonprofit agency promoting academic achievement for all students, particularly low-income and students of color.
The university reduced the gap between white students and black students by 5.7 percentage points, CSULB said.
CSULB statistics show African-American graduation rates are higher than the report, which is based on data ending in 2013. The latest numbers show a 24.8 percent increase, with a graduation rate of 63 percent.
In addition to graduating students, approximately 70,000 family members and friends are expected to visit the university during the four-day commencement.
Special honor
During commencement, each college will be honoring its Outstanding Graduate. Nohemi Gonzalez, the lone American killed in the November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, will be honored as the Outstanding Graduate for the College of the Arts, and members of her family will be on hand to receive her degree.
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CSULB Graduations schedule
Cal State Long Beach will confer more 10,000 degrees to students next week. The schedule of graduations:
May 17
9 a.m., College of Engineering
1 p.m., College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
5 p.m., College of Education
May 18
9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., College of Liberal Arts
May 19
9 a.m., College of the Arts
2 p.m., College of Business Administration
May 20
9 a.m. and 2 p.m., College of Health and Human Services
