Some students are scrambling to find tickets for their large families for the Spring 2019 Commencement ceremony and resorting to buying tickets from others. However, university officials say it is against Cal Poly’s rules.
According to University Spokesperson Matt Lazier, reselling tickets is a potential violation of the student code of conduct, specifically misappropriation of university resources. The university discourages all attempts to sell tickets.
“The tickets are electronic, and the university does have the capability to invalidate them,” Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News.
Lazier did not clarify whether or not the university will, in fact, invalidate tickets or if they have invalidated tickets in the past.
Graduating students were given seven commencement tickets this year as opposed to 10 in past years. This is due to the university changing the scheduling of ceremonies from three daytime ceremonies with two colleges each to two evening ceremonies with three colleges each. Still held in Alex G. Spanos Stadium, the capacity for each ceremony has not increased.
According to Lazier, there was still extra capacity for both ceremonies after tickets had been given out, giving students the opportunity to request additional tickets for a period of time.
“Graduates were informed that they could request additional free tickets, if needed,” Lazier wrote. “All such requests for additional tickets were fulfilled.”
Hailey Nagma contributed to this story.