SUBJECT:

Unified Campus Commencement

Members of the UCSD Community:

After consideration of the Task Force on Commencement's report, the
referendum of our students, and consultation with members of the campus
community, I am instituting a unified campus commencement for this year and
next. In keeping with UCSD's tradition, we will also have individual
college graduations during this two-year trial period.

After the 1999 graduation, we will reconsider this issue and determine a
permanent campus policy on graduation ceremonies.

UCSD has a valued tradition of student affiliation with the undergraduate
colleges. This tradition is essential to the students' college experience
and is a core component of UCSD's identity as a university. For this
reason, it is important to continue that tradition, especially at the
highlight of a student's career - graduation. The undergraduate college
and graduate ceremonies will continue during this interim period; our goal
will be to have the central convocation complement the colleges' ceremonies.

My decision to repeat the format we used last year is primarily due to the
students' referendum in favor of this approach; the event's ability to
reflect UCSD's stature; the sense of community and ceremony it engendered;
and the visibility it fostered for the campus. This trial period will give
us the comparative information required for an informed decision regarding
what format to use in the future.

I appreciate the flexibility this decision will require from the colleges,
and the organizational teamwork that will be required of our staff. With
such support, we can insure that graduation will continue to be a memorable
experience for all members of the UCSD community.

Robert C. Dynes Chancellor