Commencement Announcements

Chancellor Letter, Join us for the Slug Crossing, Class of 2020!
May 13

Hello to our newest Banana Slug alums!

We are planning a stage-crossing opportunity on the UC Santa Cruz campus for graduates of both the 2020 and 2021 classes over a period of several days starting on Sunday, June 13 — we’re calling it the Slug Crossing! Graduates of both classes are invited to sign up for a block of time during which they will have their name read, photo taken and the opportunity to cross the commencement stage at an outdoor venue. This event is for students and two guests only — all other family and friends are invited to watch via livestream. This plan is evolving with a close eye on public health guidance and local, state, and UC health requirements, and may change if requirements change.

With COVID-19 vaccines now widely available, many have asked why we still cannot have an in-person ceremony. The answer is that the pandemic continues to be difficult to predict, and commencement ceremonies take months to plan and execute. The combination of a virtual commencement and a stage-crossing opportunity promotes well-being in our community and ensures that everyone, near and far, can join in the celebration. 

To protect the safety of fellow students, as well as staff and volunteers, attendees will be required to wear face coverings (except during the stage crossing and photo) and maintain physical distance. Participants in the stage crossing and guests must fill out a UCSC symptom check prior to and be cleared for campus access. Additional information will be available at the commencement website. 

I am grateful to everyone involved in putting on commencement this year for their hard work and creativity in finding new ways to celebrate our graduates and honor their achievements. We have faced so many challenges together over the past year, and I look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of our students!

Sincerely,

Cindy Larive

Chancellor, UC Santa Cruz

Herff Jones Data Breach

A Statement from Herff Jones: Herff Jones has become aware that we have been the victim of a cyber-attack and that there are reports of possible fraudulent activity on customers’ personal payment card accounts. We take any situation which could compromise customer data very seriously. This incident is being thoroughly investigated by our internal and third-party security experts, who have taken immediate and appropriate actions to reinforce existing security measures and to mitigate its potential impact as well as determine its origins.  We have hardened our system and eliminated unauthorized access to payment card information within our systems. We are also working with the appropriate authorities and law enforcement to gather as much information as we can.

We sincerely apologize to those impacted. We are sharing as much information as we have right now with school partners, but don’t currently have enough information to notify individual customers. We are working diligently to determine which individuals were impacted, and when we have that information, rest assured we will contact those individual customers in a timely manner.

In the meantime, we have a customer service team that is dedicated to assist both institutional and individual customers on this specific issue. This team is available by calling 855-535-1795 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. EDT Monday through Friday. All non-cyber-attack related questions should be directed to Herff Jones’ main customer service team at 800-837-4235. We are still encouraging our customers to be vigilant in monitoring their payment card account statements and credit reports for instances of unauthorized activity.

For those who have not ordered yet but are trying to: Out of an abundance of caution, the payment functions on each of Herff Jones’ webpages have been temporarily taken down as part of this investigation. We will be adding an interim payment processing partner to our system in the coming days. As a result, all payments on any of the Herff Jones websites will now be managed by this payment processing partner until further notice, and no payment card information will enter our environment in order to help ensure safe transactions until we have completed the investigation. To help our customers who are preparing for their upcoming graduation ceremonies, we have created a solution so that students are still able to place orders without submitting payment information at this time. Orders can be placed on our webpages and customers will be invoiced at a later date. 

We will be invoicing customers who utilize this temporary ‘bill me later’ process as soon as we can. Our priority is fulfilling customer orders. 

If you have questions, you may contact the Herff Jones’ main customer service team online at 800-837-4235.

Chancellor Letter
April 14

Dear Banana Slugs,

As more and more Californians receive the COVID-19 vaccination and the state eases restrictions around in-person activities, our campus has been exploring additional opportunities to celebrate our graduates. 

As previously announced, we will hold virtual commencements this June to ensure that Banana Slugs near and far can celebrate their achievements and that families and friends around the world can participate. All of the details are available at our commencement website. Degree conferral, congratulatory speeches, and the recognition of each graduate will all occur through the virtual commencement ceremonies. 

In addition, we are planning a student-only, stage-crossing opportunity for graduates over a period of several days on the UC Santa Cruz campus — we’re calling it the Slug Crossing! In the coming weeks, graduates will be invited to sign up for a block of time during which they will have their name read, their photo taken and the opportunity to cross the commencement stage at an outdoor venue on campus. This event is for students only — family and friends are invited to watch via the livestream. This plan is evolving with a close eye on public health guidance and local, state, and UC health requirements, and may change if requirements change.

With the wide distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, many have asked why we cannot have an in-person ceremony. The progress of the pandemic continues to be difficult to predict however, and commencement ceremonies take months to plan and execute. The combination of a virtual commencement and a stage-crossing opportunity promotes well-being in our community and ensures that everyone, near and far, can join in the celebration. 

To protect the safety of fellow students, as well as staff and volunteers, attendees will be required to wear face coverings (except during the stage crossing and photo) and maintain distance. Participants in the stage crossing must be fully vaccinated 14 days prior to the event or have a negative COVID-19 test result within 24-72 hours of the event. Details of how to confirm eligibility will be provided through the registration process. 

I am grateful to everyone involved in supporting commencement for their hard work and creativity in finding new ways to celebrate our graduates and honor their achievements this year. We have faced so many challenges together over the past year and I look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of our students!

And if you haven’t already, make sure you request your gift box by 11:59 p.m. April 15! The link to request a gift box is available on the commencement website.

Sincerely,

Cindy Larive

Chancellor, UC Santa Cruz

Chancellor Letter
March 25

Dear Banana Slugs,

As winter quarter ends, we look toward spring and with it the opportunity to celebrate our graduating students. It is so important to honor your successes and how much you have achieved while living through a global pandemic. Last year, we held remote commencement ceremonies and we will do so again this year to ensure that no matter where you are, you can celebrate! 

To participate in virtual commencement, graduating students must register. Registration for commencement will be open from Monday, April 26 - Wednesday, May 19. Visit our commencement website for more details about registration. We are once again sending gift boxes to help you and your family celebrate. Make sure you request your gift box by April 15 at 11:59 PM and please ensure you use your correct mailing address. The link to register for a gift box is also available on the commencement website. Students who will not be participating in virtual commencement but would like to receive a gift box may also register here. 

With the changing nature of the pandemic, the state, county, and UC restrictions on in-person gatherings are unknown for June. However, we are still investigating ways to make commencement special for those graduating and will keep you updated as plans develop and if new opportunities emerge. 

While I wish we could be together in-person, I am so grateful to the many people who have worked hard to develop our remote commencement ceremonies. And I could not be more proud of your achievements. You deserve to have these achievements celebrated and I look forward to our remote celebration in June and an in-person celebration when it is safe to do so.

Remember, no matter where you are, you’re still a Banana Slug. Stay safe, stay well, and stay connected. 

Sincerely,

Cindy Larive

Chancellor, UC Santa Cruz