Nearly 1,000 students will be graduating Saturday, Dec. 14 at three ceremonies during Fall Commencement.
The three ceremonies will be held at the Recreation Center Main Gym at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. After each ceremony, graduates and guests are welcomed to attend a reception in the Julian McPhee University Union Plaza, according to a Cal Poly news release.
The 9 a.m. ceremony will recognize graduating students from the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and the College of Science and Mathematics. The 1 p.m. ceremony will recognize graduating students from the College of Liberal Arts and the Orfalea College of Business. Students from the College of Architecture and Environmental Design and the College of Engineering will be recognized at 4 p.m.
“Fall commencement is a special milestone for these Ready Day One graduates and their families,” President Jeffrey Armstrong said in a Cal Poly news release. “It’s a major transition in the lives of these members of the Cal Poly family — some who will soon embark on careers and others who will begin work on advanced degrees in the coming year.
To commemorate the student’s achievements, founder and CEO of Computer and Structures Inc. (CSI) Ashraf Habibullah will deliver a keynote speech at the three ceremonies. Habibullah is a longtime benefactor of Cal Poly, according to the release.
Habibullah funded the Architectural Engineering Department’s CSI Computer Lab in 2010, according to the release. In 2016, he funded a complete renovation of the lab.
His company has donated software to many universities, including, Cal Poly. CSI is known worldwide as a leader in software tools for structural and earthquake engineering, according to the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California.
“Virtually every major high-rise around the world was built using CSI software, including New York’s Freedom Tower and the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai,” the release reads.
Habibullah also created the Engineering Alliance for the Arts, a non-profit organization that hosts high school competitions that blend engineering and the arts.
Permits are not required to park on campus during commencement, according to the release. Parking will be available in the Grand Ave Parking Structure and shuttles will be available for guests with mobility impairments and one companion.
The ceremonies are expected to last 90 minutes each and will also be live-streamed for supporters who are unable to attend.