Faculty & Staff Information for 2024 Arching & Commencement Ceremonies

Join President Jebb and the Ramapo College community in celebrating the Class of 2024 by participating in and/or supporting the following events. These ceremonies are our students’ farewell to Ramapo and their opportunity to memorialize their academic career by celebrating with classmates, family members, friends, and all of us!

• Wednesday, May 22: Ramapo College Class of 2024 Graduate Programs Commencement Ceremony will be held on campus in the Arena of the Bill Bradley Sports and Recreation Center. Doors will open at 4 p.m. The ceremony will begin with the academic processional at 5:15 p.m.
• Thursday, May 23: Ramapo College will host Class of 2024 graduates and their guests on campus for the time-honored tradition of Arching! The Arching Ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. Other special recognition programs (Academic Achievement, Nursing Pinning, Rites of Passage, etc.) may take place on campus throughout the day.
• Wednesday, May 29: Caps Off! The Ramapo College Class of 2024 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony will be held at Prudential Center in Newark. Doors will open at 7:30 a.m. The ceremony will begin with the academic processional at 8:45 a.m.

The energy from these events is contagious and serves as a reminder of why we choose to work in higher education.

The College is grateful for the continued support of its faculty and staff and for your commitment to ensuring our graduates benefit from a warm and memorable send-off from Ramapo.

Service Options

Your service options for Arching and/or the Commencement Ceremonies are to either serve as a marshal or process.

• MARSHAL: Marshals take on organizational and operational responsibilities during the events, without which the ceremonies would not be possible! Roles are assigned by the Commencement Planning Committee based on prior years’ experiences and individuals’ interests and talents. Training sessions will be held in May for marshals. You may need to work with your supervisor/unit head to adjust your schedule(s) during the weeks of May 21 and/or May 28 in anticipation of the total amount of time you will be expected to spend at these events. Managers will work with you to arrange for flex time, but compensatory time will not be earned.
• PROCESS: If you process, you will wear academic regalia while watching the ceremony and cheering for our graduates. At Arching, you will line Mansion Road. At the Commencement Ceremonies, you sit on the arena floor and congratulate graduates after they cross the stage. A detailed communication will be sent to you prior to each event with specific instructions on what time to arrive, what to bring, and where to line up.

Tentative Event Schedules

FAQs

It’s too early!

Ceremony Attire

Your attire for Arching and/or the Commencement Ceremonies will vary based on whether you choose to serve as a marshal or process.

• MARSHAL: Your attire for Arching will be a Ramapo shirt. Your attire at either Commencement Ceremony will be a Ramapo shirt, a black Bachelors robe, or all black, depending on your assignment. If you have previously been given a Ramapo Commencement polo, please take the time to locate your shirt now.
• PROCESS: If you process, you will wear academic regalia. If you do not own your own regalia, you may request rental regalia to wear for two or more events (i.e. Arching & Undergraduate Commencement; Arching & Graduate Programs Commencement; both Commencements; or Arching & both Commencements) when completing the Service Form. You will receive an email in late April with details on when and where to pick up your regalia.

Tentative Transportation Options to Prudential Center

Faculty and staff have three transportation options to get to and from Prudential Center in Newark.

• SHUTTLE: Transportation from the College will be available to Newark and will leave at approximately 5:00 a.m. (for marshals) and 6:15 a.m. (for those processing) and will return to the College at the conclusion of the ceremony. You must sign-up for this transportation option when completing the Service Form.
• DRIVE: Parking at the Prudential Center is limited. The College encourages faculty and staff to carpool to ensure ample parking for our graduates and their families and to help minimize traffic in the area. When completing the Service Form, you will be asked the town you are traveling from so we may facilitate a carpool among colleagues. Please note this information will ONLY be used for this purpose and will be kept confidential otherwise.
• MASS TRANSIT: Prudential Center is easily accessible by NJ Transit trains, PATH, and Light Rail service and is located just two blocks from Newark Penn Station.

Please note travel expenses such as mileage, tolls, and bus or train tickets will NOT be reimbursed as employees understand that Prudential Center is their work location on May 29, 2024.

Employees and/or Dependents Graduating

Please contact People Operations and Employee Resources at poer@ramapo.edu if you are an employee who is graduating this year or if you have a dependent who is graduating this year.  Congratulations!