BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK\/KBFX) \u2014 California State University, Bakersfield, is preparing to celebrate its graduates this weekend with spring commencement ceremonies at Dignity Health Arena for the first time.<\/p>\n
The university has two Saturday ceremonies scheduled for 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.<\/p>\n
8 a.m. ceremony: Colleges of Arts and Humanities, Business and Public Administration, Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Engineering, and academic programs.1 p.m. ceremony: Graduates from the College of Social Sciences and Education.<\/p>\n
More than 1,500 students are expected to receive bachelor\u2019s degrees, along with hundreds of graduate degrees and teaching credentials.<\/p>\n
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The university said moving the ceremonies indoors will help create a more comfortable experience for graduates and their families.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have hosted our fall commencement ceremonies at the arena for several years, and we consistently receive glowing feedback from our graduates, their families and our community,\u201d stated CSUB President Dr. Vernon B. Harper Jr. \u201cWe want to extend that joyous experience to our spring grads, while taking advantage of the indoor setting that shields us from the unpredictable Bakersfield weather. But no matter where we hold our ceremony, the destination of our Roadrunners is the same: lives of meaning and service on behalf of their families and communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur outreach as Kern County\u2019s University is bearing fruit in enrollment and graduation rates,\u201d stated Dr. Harper. \u201cFor too long, the majority of students in this region have not considered a university education an option. But the success of our graduates contradicts that assumption, and when a community increases the number of college degrees, prosperity and security follow.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you cannot attend the commencement, it will be livestreamed on CSUB’s website HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n