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Graduation Ceremony

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Congratulations to all graduating students! 

The convocations of
Rutgers University and
the School of Communication and Information
honor all students who are completing degrees this year.

Ceremonies will be held on campus on Sunday, May 19th

ALL RUTGERS STUDENTS ARE INVITED:

University Commencement will be held at 12:30pm in the Rutgers Stadium.  Details about this ceremony can be found at http://commencement.rutgers.edu/.  This event will end around 2:00pm.

ALL STUDENTS WITH SC&I DEGREES ARE INVITED:

The School of Communication and Information Convocation will be held at the Louis Brown Athletic Center (the RAC).   This is the ceremony at which your name will be called and you will walk across the stage and be congratulated individually.

  • Pre-ceremony reception will begin at 2:30pm in a tent outside the RAC.
  • Graduates must arrive by 3:30pm inside the RAC to line up for the processional.
  • Guests should plan to be seated by 4:15pm.
  • The SC&I ceremony itself will run 4:30pm to 6:15pm.  We begin and end promptly.

If you are a SC&I student graduating this year, please join us!  We will call your name and you will walk across the stage and be congratulated for your achievement.

UNDERGRADUATES ARE INVITED TO ATTEND OTHER CEREMONIES:

For information about ceremonies associated with your SAS, SEBS, or other Rutgers school, visit http://commencement.rutgers.edu/rutgers-new-brunswick-convocations.

DOCTORAL STUDENTS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND GRAD SCHOOL NEW BRUNSWICK:

The Graduate School New Brunswick will be holding their ceremony at 10:00am on May 19th in a tent by Rutgers Stadium.  You may participate in both the GSNB ceremony and the SC&I ceremony.  You will be hooded at both, although at the SC&I ceremony we will read your dissertation title and you will be hooded by your adviser.  For more details about the GSNB ceremony, see http://gsnb.rutgers.edu/resources/convocation-and-commencement.

Ticketing

Neither guests nor graduates need tickets for the university ceremony at the Stadium or the SC&I ceremony at the RAC.  We have seating for as many guests as you want to bring.  Students do not need to RSVP if they are coming.

Students can pick up souvenir invitations to graduation to give to your family and friends by visiting our Student Services office (Room 214) after spring break, or mailing to us a 6x9 self-addressed envelope with $1.06 in postage to SC&I Convocation, Rutgers University, 4 Huntington Street, New Brunswick, NJ  08901-1071.

Parking for the day

Directions to campus may be found at http://commencement.rutgers.edu/parking-getting-around/maps-directions.

There will be plenty of signs to direct you once you are near campus.

All cars that come onto any campus on May 19 will need a special parking permit for that day.  Students will be able to register for two free hangtags for your selected zone beginning on March 25.  http://commencement.rutgers.edu/parking-getting-around/parking-guidelines

Additional permits will be available beginning April 25 for $5 each.

If you plan to attend both University Commencement at 12:30pm and SC&I Convocation later in the afternoon, you should request parking for the Livingston Campus Orange Zone.  You will then be able to park near the RAC, take the free shuttle over to the Stadium and enjoy University Commencement, then take a shuttle back to Livingston for SC&I's reception and Convocation.

Rutgers campus buses will provide complimentary shuttle service to and from all campus parking areas and the stadium every 3–5 minutes, starting at 8:00 a.m. and running into the evening.

Students with Special Needs Who Are Walking at Graduation

If you are a student who needs accommodations of any kind for yourself  at the ceremony, please contact Associate Dean Karen Novick as early as possible at or  848-932-8220 to make arrangements.

Special Needs Parking and Seating for Guests

If someone in your group needs special needs parking, you will be able to note that when you register for a permit.  At the Stadium you will be able to park nearby (although it is still a bit of a walk).  When driving back to Livingston, the car will be able to stop near the front door of the RAC to drop off the person with special needs, and then the car can be parked in any lot.

There is special needs seating inside both facilities.  There is no need to register separately for access to it.  One member of your group will be able to sit with the person who has special needs; the rest of the group will be directed to regular seating.

Caps and Gowns

You can purchase regalia (caps, gowns, hoods, tassels) from the Rutgers Bookstore.   http://rutgers.bncollege.com

  • If you are an undergraduate, you should purchase a gown based on your four-year Rutgers College (e.g., SAS, SEBS).   You will wear a white hood for a B.A. degree.
  • If you are a graduate student, make sure you get a black cap and gown and the appropriate colored hood:     for MCIS it is silver  -  for MLIS it is lemon yellow  -  for PhD it is a deep blue.
  • Doctoral students who are planning an academic career may consider having a custom set of regalia made.  This takes four to six weeks.

The Bookstore will run a Graduate Fair in April.  Regalia will not be discounted on those days, but accessories such as rings will be.

Students who do not have a cap and gown may still participate in the ceremony.

Food and Drinks on the Day of Graduation

There will concession stands open at the Stadium during University Commencement, and there will be food carts outside the Stadium when the ceremony is over.

SC&I is hosting a reception with refreshments in a tent outside the RAC beginning at 2:30pm.  Graduating students and your guests are welcome!

Graduates and guests may also want to bring a water bottle with you to the RAC, because it can get warm inside the building.

Students Completing Degrees in the Summer

If you will complete your degree during Summer 2013, you may arrange to participate in the SC&I Convocation by contacting a Student Services staff member and discussing your academic plans with them.  (http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/current-students/current-students-home.html)  Please note that if you participate in convocation but are not actually graduating from Rutgers by May, you will walk in the processional and have your name called and walk across the stage, but your name will not appear in our program booklet until next year.

Diplomas

Your Rutgers diploma will be mailed to you at the address you gave the Register when you completed the Online Diploma Application during your last semester of classes.

Photography

We arrange for a photographer to come and take photos of every graduate who walks across the stage.  The vendor, Island Photography, will email you shortly after the ceremony with a link so you can review and purchase your photos.  If you would like to receive a direct link to the photos, visit the Island Photography website to register.  You can register several emails to allow all of your family and friends to receive a direct link.  Images will be posted within 72 hours of the ceremony.  For questions, contact Island Photography at 800-869-0908.  Purchase is optional.

Congratulations on earning your degree!