Merced College to hold 60th commencement ceremony and first on Los Banos campus

Merced College will hold its 60th commencement ceremony in Merced and its first commencement ceremony at the Los Banos campus next week, according to the college.

For the first time, the college will hold a full commencement ceremony for graduates at the Merced College Los Banos campus on May 25. The college’s 60th commencement ceremony on the main campus will take place on May 26 on the Don Odishoo Field at Stadium ’76. Both of the ceremonies are scheduled to start at 6 p.m..

In total, ,more than 1,200 Merced College students are eligible to cross the stage during the ceremonies.

According to the college, the Los Banos commencement ceremony is one of the latest initiatives to grow the campus giving students on the Westside a complete educational experience. The commencement will take the place of a previous merit and awards celebration. In previous years, Westside students seeking a traditional graduation experience could only walk at the ceremony in Merced.

About 200 students are eligible to take part in the Los Banos ceremony which will be held in the campus’ quad.

“Commencement is always a special time for our students, their families, and our entire campus community,” said Merced College President Chris Vitelli in a news release. “We are proud to continue our rich tradition of celebrating Merced College graduates as they begin the next chapters of their lives, and we are overjoyed to give our Los Banos students a commencement experience all their own.”

According to Merced College, the Los Banos campus is slated to gain a new campus cafe which can alleviate food insecurities and an outdoor gym which will allow for the addition of three in-person kinesiology courses.

Construction of a Child Development Center for childcare and training is expected to be completed this summer, according to the release. The college said new faculty positions will be added for high-demand fields such as the college’s agriculture programs, computer technology and information systems and welding.

“Our students already get a top-quality, reasonably priced education right here in their community, and now they can celebrate their graduation here, as well,” said Los Banos Campus Dean of Instruction Jessica Moran in the news release. “This will be an inspiring moment for our graduates and their families, and a milestone for the growth and development of our community.”

Both the Merced and Los Banos commencement ceremonies will be available for viewing via the Merced College YouTube channel.

“On behalf of the Merced College Board of Trustees, I want to congratulate all of our graduating students and express my gratitude to their families and friends who supported them on their journeys,” said Board President John Pedrozo in the release. “Merced College provides high-quality education and training that empowers community members of all ages to improve their lives and enhance their careers, and I have no doubt the Class of 2023 is going to do great things for our region.”

More than 3,000 degrees and certificates were earned by Merced College students in the 2022-2023 academic year. According to the college, 1,489 certificates and 1,600 degrees will be awarded to 1,726 students in this year’s class, which are the highest totals since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2023 graduation class also includes 425 students with a grade-point average of 3.50 or better who completed a minimum of 45 units. According to the release, 31 of those students have earned Superintendent’s Honors by maintaining a 4.0 GPA with a minimum of 36 completed units.

Additional information about commencement can be found on the graduation page of the Merced College website.