Important dates for graduates:
Deadline to register for Slug Crossing: May 19 @ 11:59 p.m.
Deadline to order regalia: May 21 @ 8:59 p.m.
From a fully virtual commencement to the newly created Slug Crossing, UC Santa Cruz’s 2020 and 2021 graduating classes have watched as their end-of-year ceremonies take on new forms. Graduates are allowed to bring up to two guests for the celebrations, but vaccinations and prior COVID-19 testing are no longer required for attendees as of May 13.
Slug Crossing was first announced in March, with the caveat that all walking graduates must be fully vaccinated prior to the event or provide a negative COVID-19 test 24-72 hours prior. Guests were not allowed at the time.
You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after you have received all relevant vaccine doses (two for the Pfizer or Moderna shots and one for the Johnson & Johnson).
Graduates received an email on May 13 opening up the event to two guests. The email also included relaxed requirements for those attending. All participants, guests, and volunteers at Slug Crossing will be required to wear facial coverings and maintain a six-foot distance. All attendees must also fill out a UCSC symptom check prior to and be cleared for campus access.
“We continue to align with the public health recommendations and prioritize the overall health and well-being of our community,” said UCSC spokesperson Scott Hernandez-Jason in an email. “The event is structured with this goal in mind: guests will need to wear masks, keep their distance and take our symptom check.”
The updated requirements came five days before Santa Cruz County officially moved into the yellow tier on May 18. The county currently has a total of 84 active cases, one of the lowest numbers it has seen in past months.
Fourth-year literature major Isabella Sherouse is looking forward to a sense of closure with the upcoming Slug Crossing, but is cautious about the changing requirements.
“Although we’re beginning to see a decline in cases and a rise in vaccinations, I think it’s crucially important to still be cautious, and to take as many safety measures as we are able to,” Sherouse said. “ I completely understand that it’s so tempting to have a day of celebration that feels as normal as possible, I really do, but we just can’t let our guard down yet.”
Commencement will begin June 11 and end June 13 for the class of 2021. The class of 2020 will start their ceremonies on June 13.
Missed the graduation application deadline?
The deadline to apply for graduation has passed, but students are still able to apply up to six weeks after the end of the quarter with a late fee. If a student applies between the passed deadline and the end of the quarter, a $75 fee will be applicable. If a student applies after the end of the quarter, a $100 fee is applicable.
