November 13, 2025: 2026 Arching & Commencement Announcement

January 28, 2026: 2026 Commencement & Graduation Deadlines/Info

At this year’s Commencement Ceremony, a representative of the Class of 2026 will be asked to give greetings and a short address to those gathered for the occasion. You are invited to apply to be that representative provided you have graduated in January 2026 or have a graduation application on file and approved for June 2026 or August 2026. (Note: If you plan to graduate in June or August, you must have a graduation application on file before you submit this form.) If you are eligible and interested in applying for this honor, you should do the following:

1. Prepare a detailed address designed to last no more than three minutes. This address should extend greetings, and contain remarks which are relevant to the occasion and of interest to a wide audience. You must submit the entire text of the speech. (See below for suggestions regarding things to consider when preparing your address.)

2. Please e-mail a draft of your speech, and an audio recording* of you giving the speech as you would at Commencement to: deanofstudents@ramapo.edu. The above materials must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. on March 6, 2026.

After the deadline of March 6, 2026 at 4:30 p.m., a Selection Committee will review the submissions. Members of the Committee review the written texts and are not aware of the writer’s name. Only after the group is reduced to a very small number of finalists does the Committee listen to the recordings, and review the personal information provided. All applicants will be notified by March 26, 2026. The person chosen will be offered assistance in completing the final draft of the speech.

* Please note: If you do not have access to the technology required to make an audio recording of your speech, or if you need a flash drive to save your speech, please contact deanofstudents@ramapo.edu at your earliest convenience and accommodations will be made. If you require disability related accommodations, please email at least 48 hours before the submission deadline so those accommodations can be made.

Examples of what the Selection Committee is looking for in a speech:
1. Thoughtful and insightful writing and robust delivery
2. A speech that is no longer than 3 minutes
3. Understanding the mission, culture, & values of Ramapo
4. Connection between Ramapo experiences and the future
5. Impact Ramapo has had on the lives of those in the Class
6. Relevant humor (no “inside” jokes)as embodied in the experiences of the Class

• Online ordering for your academic regalia (cap & gown) is now available! You should wear your regalia at both the Arching Ceremony on campus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 and the Commencement Ceremony at Prudential Center on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
  • The Bachelor’s package (for undergraduates) is $86.00 and includes a black cap & gown, degree color tassel, zipper pull, and Ramapo stole*. * Note the stole does not ship to home and will need to be picked up at Grad Fair or the Bookstore.
  • The Master’s package (for graduate students) is $98.00 and includes a maroon cap & gown, degree color tassel, zipper pull, and hood.

  • There are two Doctoral package options. For more information and to place your order, email tking@ramapo.edu.

  This year you have the choice of ordering your regalia with free shipping to campus to pick up at the Grad Fair on Thursday, April 16, 2026.  Or you may have it shipped directly to your home (S&H fees apply).

  Order Dates:

  Now through March 13 – Accepting regalia orders for in-person pick-up at the Grad Fair on April 16 or Bookstore after April 16.  Accepting Doctoral regalia orders to be shipped home

  Now through April 17 – Accepting regalia orders to be shipped home (Masters & Bachelors)

  Order your Regalia today

  For questions related to regalia (cap & gown), please email bookstore@ramapo.edu.

In order for your name to be listed in the Commencement program you must submit your graduation application by Wednesday, April 1, 2026*.

The online graduation application is accessible after you meet with your advisor for a degree audit and access to the application is approved. View instructions on the application process. A graduation application is required to earn your Ramapo degree regardless of participation in Commencement and related events. Participating in Commencement does not guarantee graduation.

We strongly advise that you schedule your degree audit meeting with your advisor before Spring Break!

*Graduates submitting their application after April 1st will not be listed in the Commencement Program.

For questions related to your eligibility to graduate, your graduation application, and/or the processing of your diploma, please contact the Office of the Registrar directly at grad@ramapo.edu.

• On March 30, we celebrate the RCNJ Class of 2026 and the eve of our countdown: Grad45-Forty Five Days Until Commencement! Join your peers from 7 – 9 p.m. in Friends Hall as we start the official countdown clock to commencement, record a video message for the JumboTron at the Prudential Center, enjoy food, build the official class playlist and more. The first 100 graduates in attendance will enter into a raffle for free Ramapo swag.Questions? Email commencement@ramapo.edu.

Stop by the Grad Fair any time from 11 a.m. – 4:30  p.m at the Alumni Lounges (SC 156-158).

Class of 2026, Grad Fair is the one day only, one-stop shop to get everything you need for Arching & the Commencement ceremony.

At the Grad Fair you can pick up your cap, gown and stole. You will also be able to obtain ceremony information, take a picture and record a greeting for the JumboTron, get entered to win multiple raffle prizes (graduation photo package, diploma frame, and more)!

The following are some of the resources available at Grad Fair 2026: Regalia Pick-up (pre-ordered) and Stoles, RSVP to Arching & Hooding, Photos and Video Recordings (see below for more), Take your Senior Survey, Support the Senior Legacy Drive, Pick Up your Reader Card, Financial Aid Office, Ramapo Bookstore, Balfour Class Rings, etc.

Is there a club, a program, or a professor that made a difference for you? Did you take a class that changed your career path? Tell us what RCNJ memory will stay with you 10, 20, or 30 years from now. Or thank a family member or friend for helping you through your journey at Ramapo. Record a brief message to be displayed on the Jumbotron at this year’s Commencement Ceremony at Prudential Center. Recordings will play for guests seated in the arena prior to the processional. You can record messages individually or as part of a group.

Or, smile for the camera and tell us about your plans for after Ramapo. “After Ramapo I will…” photos will be displayed on the Jumbotron at Prudential Center. Both video recordings and photos will take place at Grad45 and Grad Fair.

We’re not just leaving Ramapo College; we’re leaving a legacy! As graduating seniors, you can unite to leave your legacy at RCNJ. With your gift of $20.26 or greater to the Fund for Ramapo College, you will receive this year’s commemorative senior t-shirt or you can choose your very own legacy package.

Parents and friends, if you would like to make a gift in your graduate’s name, a portion of the gift will benefit the 2025-26 Fund for Ramapo College. Parents are also welcome to purchase a graduating senior parent shirt this year.

Get a head start and pre-order your legacy package today!

For more information, contact: Andrea Buser ’06, andreab@ramapo.edu, (201) 684-6819, www.ramapo.edu/giving/senior-legacy-drive/

Join your class at the annual Village Senior Night/Cap Decorating event on April 29th from 8pm-10pm in Thomases Commons in The Village Apartments.