SC&I, Rutgers University - FAQ About SC&I Convocation

Convocation

What is SC&I Convocation?
It is a graduation ceremony for SC&I undergraduate and graduate students who have received, or are receiving, their degrees in October 2008, January 2009, and May 2009. If you are a SC&I student graduating in this academic year, please join us! We will call your name and you will walk across the stage and be congratulated for your achievement.

When and where is it held?
The convocation will take place on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, from 5:00 to 6:45pm at the College Avenue Gym. A reception for graduates and guests, sponsored by the SC&I Alumni Association, will be held in the Gym Annex immediately following the ceremony, which gives students a chance to congratulate each other and SC&I faculty and staff a chance to congratulate graduates and their families.

Who may participate in convocation?
All undergraduate students with a Communication, ITI, or Journalism and Media Studies major, and all graduate students in the MCIS, MLIS, and Ph.D. programs, who have graduation dates in this academic year (October 2008, January 2009, May 2009) may participate by RSVPing in advance (see below). Note that participation in the convocation should not be construed as verification of graduation; that must be done through regular academic channels.

Can I participate in May if I am going to finish my coursework during the summer?
If at the end of the Spring 2009 semester you are within six credits of completing all of your requirements for your bachelors or masters degree and you will be completing those six credits during the summer, you may arrange to participate in the SC&I Convocation by contacting Associate Dean Karen Novick at knovick@rutgers.edu by the end of April. (Doctoral students may not participate in the ceremony before earning the degree.)
Please note that if you participate in convocation but are not actually graduating from Rutgers by May, your name will not appear in the program booklet and you will not receive a diploma, but you may walk in the processional and have your name called and walk across the stage.

Do I have to let anyone know if I plan to come?
Yes, you should RSVP to us if you plan to attend. We need an accurate count of the number of students who will be attending in order to arrange for seating of graduates. If you’re not sure that you will be able to attend, we would prefer that you RSVP that you will be attending since it is better for us to plan for sufficient seating in advance than to try add seats at the last minute.

Visit the SC&I Student Services Office (Room 214) in person between March 30th and May 9th to RSVP and pick up your invitations.

If you are unable to come in, you may call any of our Student Services staff to RSVP; if you want us to mail you two souvenir invitations, send a self-addressed, stamped (79 cents) envelop to SC&I Convocation, Rutgers SC&I, 4 Huntington Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1071. To RSVP:

Undergraduate students: Call 732-932-7500 x8100 or x8150
On campus graduate students: Call 732-932-7500 x8200 or x8270
Online graduate students: RSVP through http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2gtrz46frf4v5tj/start

Do I need tickets for myself or my guests to attend the ceremony? How many guests can I bring?
You do not need tickets for yourself or your guests to attend convocation. We do not limit the number of guests you can bring to the ceremony since the Gym has enough seats to accommodate our expected guests. But you will want to give your guests driving and parking information and a souvenir invitation. You may pick up two souvenir convocation invitations and information about parking and directions for your guests when you RSVP to the SC&I Student Services Office. Your guests should plan to be seated by 4:45pm. Once the processional begins at 5:00pm, guests will not be admitted to downstairs seating until the processional is concluded. If you want to print the driving and parking directions for your guests, click here.

What if I cannot come in to pick up my invitations? Will you mail them to me?
If you are unable to come to the SC&I Student Services Office to RSVP and pick up your souvenir invitations and guest information, you may send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to us and we will mail the items to you. If you don't want us to fold the invitation, the envelope should be large enough to accommodate a 4.5" x 6.25" card. We can only mail you the invitations if you send a self-addressed, stamped envelope, we cannot accept requests over the phone. Mail your envelope to: SC&I Convocation, Rutgers SC&I, 4 Huntington Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1071. Or, if you just want the directions for yourself and your guests and don't care about the invitations, click here for instructions for your guests and click here for instructions for yourself.

Where should I go when I get to the gym?
Graduates should report to the GYM Annex no later than 4:00pm. When you get to the Gym, check in at the table along the back wall of the Annex and we will give you a Name Card to fill out, which you will take up to the stage to hand to the reader so your name can be called when you walk across the stage. You will line up alphabetically in the Gym Annex with all the other graduates from your program. There will be plenty of signs and people who can direct you to the right place.

Will I receive special recognition for achieving departmental honors?
Students receiving departmental honors will have an asterisk next to their name in the convocation program.

Should I wear a cap and gown to SC&I convocation?
Yes, if you can you should wear your cap and gown for the convocation ceremony. You can purchase regalia (caps, gowns, hoods, tassels) from the Rutgers Bookstore beginning in April; see http://commencement.rutgers.edu/regalia.shtml for details. You should purchase gowns based on your four year Rutgers College (SAS, Rutgers College, Douglass, etc.) However, if you do not have a cap and gown you may still participate in the ceremony.

Are special accommodations available for disabled students or guests?
Yes, but please contact Associate Dean Karen Novick as early as possible at knovick@rutgers.edu or 932-7500 x8261 to arrange for guests and students in wheelchairs or who need other special accommodations. We will most likely be able to seat your entire guest group together, but can only arrange this if we know in advance of your needs.

Will I receive my diploma at SC&I Convocation?
Only SC&I Master’s degree candidates will receive their diplomas at SC&I Convocation. Bachelor’s degree candidates will receive diplomas at your four-year undergraduate college commencements, and Ph.D. candidates will receive diplomas at University Commencement. At the SC&I convocation, all students will be called up on stage, by name, to shake hands with the Dean and receive a graduation gift from SC&I.

What about my undergraduate college's convocation and university convocation?
For details about other graduation ceremonies at Rutgers this spring,please check http://commencement.rutgers.edu/nbpconvo.shtml

If I need additional information about the convocation, what should I do?
If you have a question that is not answered in this FAQ, please contact the SC&I Student Services Office.

Congratulations! See you on May 19th!