Alder Commencement 2023
We are looking forward to a memorable ceremony to honor your graduation from Alder GSE. Faculty and staff from Alder, along with your family, friends, and loved ones, are looking forward to seeing you on the stage and celebrating this milestone on your teaching journey.
Bookmark this page to stay up-to-date with information related to your Commencement Weekend.
Save the Date!
NorCal Commencement Ceremony – Saturday, June 3, 2023 | 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Cal State East Bay Amphitheater – Hayward, CA
SoCal Commencement Ceremony – Sunday, June 4, 2023 | 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Whittier College Amphitheater – Whittier, CA
Keynote Address
We are honored to welcome Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade to address our graduating residents. If there is one thing that Jeff Duncan-Andrade knows for sure, it’s this: If you find something that’s not working, change it. And that’s exactly what he has done. The longtime urban educator, researcher and activist felt that students in his community in East Oakland, California, who are mostly Black and Latinx, weren’t getting the education they deserved. So Duncan-Andrade, a teacher and professor of Latina/o Studies and Race and Resistance Studies at San Francisco State University, co-founded a new school—the Roses in Concrete Community School. It’s a school that centers the wellness of its students above everything else—responding to the unique needs of the community as the pathway to social and academic rigor. Duncan-Andrade also co-founded the Community Responsive Education Group and the Teaching Excellence Network (TEN) to support schools and districts to build and support similar practices in their communities.
Regalia Information
For the commencement ceremony graduates will wear a black Master’s gown, a black mortar board cap, a Master’s hood in Alder colors (purple and green with light blue for education), and a Class of 2023 light blue tassel. If you’d like to see some examples from last year’s ceremonies, they can be found in the ‘commencement photos’ at this link. Note that the hoods for 2023 will include purple along with green and light blue. Note: While the Master’s and Bachelor’s gowns have slight differences, you are welcome to wear a black Bachelor’s gown if one is available to you.
There are options to purchase or rent each item of regalia or different packages depending on what you need. You are also welcome to use your own regalia from past graduations, or to borrow any of these items from friends, family or colleagues. Follow this link to the Alder GSE page: Balfour Regalia Ordering. The site also includes custom and cultural stoles and other items you may want to celebrate your graduation. If you have any questions about buying or renting regalia, you can contact Balfour directly at @ 1-800-683-4771 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (CST), Monday-Friday or email them @ customer_service@buildagrad.com. While the order form suggests you must order by late April, we highly recommend that you get your order in as early as possible.