Commencement

The CUNY Baccalaureate Program's annual commencement will take place on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. in the Great Hall at The Cooper Union, 7 East 7th Street at Third Avenue in New York City. A reception will follow the 90-minute ceremony. A rehearsal for all graduates will take place there that day at 9:30 a.m.

All students wishing to march in the CUNY BA/BS commencement must complete and return their commencement paperwork and pay the $75.00 fee by April 7, 2008. If you are renting a plain black cap and plain black gown for your home college’s ceremony, you may use the same attire for our event; in that case, your fee will be $60.00.

	Commencement Order Form (PDF)
	Awards and Graduate School Acceptance Report Form (PDF)

Students participating in the CUNY BA/BS ceremony will receive an email confirming the receipt of their payment and completed forms plus a second mailing in early May that will include complete details about picking up your attire, diplomas, directions to Cooper Union, etc. Details will also be posted on this web site.

For commencement questions (including concerns about whether or not to attend, be they
academic, financial, etc.) contact Lidija Markes at 212.817.8223 or LMarkes@gc.cuny.edu. For more information, see Commencement FAQs (PDF).

Guests
Graduates may bring as many guests as they would like to the ceremony and reception (no tickets are required). Mentors will receive invitations from the Program soon, but we strongly encourage students to invite their mentor(s) personally, as well.

Speakers
This year's commencement speaker will be three-time Peabody Award winner, four-time Emmy award winner and Dateline NBC correspondent John Hockenberry, author of the acclaimed book Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs, and Declarations of Independence.

If you would like to represent your fellow graduates at Commencement by serving as this year's
student speaker, send a 1-2 page letter of interest to the attention of Beth Kneller at bkneller@gc.cuny.edu by April 7. Tell about your background and experiences as a CUNY Baccalaureate student, and explain why you would like to speak at the ceremony. If you are an experienced singer and wish to perform The National Anthem, please contact Beth by April 7.

Nonimmigrant visa requests
If you need a letter from our office to a foreign embassy or consulate requesting permission for family members or friends to travel to the U.S. on a nonimmigrant visa for the ceremony, put your request in writing to Grace Williams, CUNY BA Administrative Assistant, at gwilliams@gc.cuny.edu with the following information:

• full name(s) of relative/friend
• relationship to you
• name of embassy/consulate and its mailing address

If you are unable to find out the name and address of the embassy or consulate to which this information should be sent, use usembassy.state.gov as a reference. We will prepare this letter for you to mail or fax. Make your request as soon as possible (ideally before April 7); there can be long waits for visas.

Photographs
We have arranged for a professional photographer to take your picture as you receive your diploma. You will receive a free full-color proof in the mail seven days after the ceremony. You will have the option of ordering from a variety of packages and prices.

Home College commencement
In March, the CUNY BA/BS Registrar sends the names of graduates to the senior colleges. You are eligible to participate in your home college commencement in addition to the CUNY BA/BS ceremony. (Note: Some colleges do not allow upcoming September graduates to march in June, but the CUNY BA/BS Program does.) If you have questions about your home college’s commencement, contact your home college.

Awards
Six awards will be given out at commencement this year. The application deadline is May 14, 2008. Award recipients must be present at the commencement ceremony.

1. The Daniel Hidalgo Award—One $1,000 award will be awarded to an academically outstanding graduate going on to one of the graduate degrees at The CUNY Graduate Center in Fall 2008. Essay required; see below.
2. The CUNY Baccalaureate Alumni Fund Awards—Thanks to the ongoing generosity of the Program’s Alumni, two-three $500 awards will be awarded to academically outstanding graduates who are going on to graduate programs at any accredited institutions in Fall 2008. Essay required; see below.
3. The Nan Bauer-Maglin Prize in Literary Studies—One award of up to $250 will be made to a student who did exceptionally well in his/her Area of Concentration related to Literature/Literary Studies. No essay required; simply email Beth Kneller at bkneller@gc.cuny.edu by May 14, 2008 to ask to be considered. Include the title of your area(s) of concentration.
4. The Barbara Kneller Memorial Award—One award of $500 will be made to a student who previously attended Kingsborough Community College and is completing their degree in the CUNY BA/BS Program with outstanding success. No essay required; simply email Beth Kneller at bkneller@gc.cuny.edu by May 14, 2008 to ask to be considered.
5. The Abby Stein Award—CUNY BA and Graduate Center Alumna Abby Stein, an adjunct professor at John Jay College, has established a $500 award. The award is given to a John Jay student, typically concentrating in an area involving the social sciences. No formal essay required; email Beth Kneller at bkneller@gc.cuny.edu by May 14, 2008 to ask to be considered. Include the title of your area(s) of concentration plus a brief statement about your academic work and career plans.
6. The Dan Daley Journalism Award—For the first time, CUNY BA alumnus Dan Daley, journalist and author, has designated a $500 award to be given to an upcoming graduate in journalism or communication. No formal essay required; email Beth Kneller at bkneller@gc.cuny.edu by May 14, 2008 to ask to be considered. Include the title of your area(s) of concentration plus a brief statement about your academic work and career plans.

Recipients of the awards for (1) and (2) will be selected based upon consideration of their cumulative GPA and Area GPA(s); a personal statement of not more than 2 double-spaced, typed pages; and proof of acceptance to an accredited graduate school program (for the Hidalgo Award, the graduate school must be The CUNY Graduate Center). The personal statement should address the following:

• How did your Area(s) of Concentration influence your choice of graduate study?
• What will be your specific focus in your graduate program?
• Where do you see your graduate studies leading you?

Include a cover page stating your name, Area of Concentration, graduate school and program you will be attending, and day/evening and email contact information. Address the application to Lidija Markes, Scholarships Coordinator, at the CUNY BA office. All awards will be announced at Commencement and are subject to confirmation of all final grades.