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May 15, 2025: Important Information Regarding the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony

Undergraduate Commencement will take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Doors will open 7:30 a.m. and the processional will begin at 8:40 a.m.

The ceremony is expected to last 3 hours and will be live streamed on ramapo.edu/commencement.

Prudential Center: Entry Information & Policies

  • TICKETS: Tickets are NOT required for entry. Graduates may bring an unlimited number of guests, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • ENTRANCES: Arrive early! All graduates must use the M&M Tower entrance, but guests may use the M&M Tower, Citizens Tower, or Lafayette Street entrance. (See Graduate and Guest specific information below)
  • SCREENING: All graduates and guests will be subject to a screening upon entry into the building.
  • BAG POLICY: Bags up to 12″x14″ are permitted inside Prudential Center. Anything larger, including backpacks, are not permitted, with the exception of childcare or medical bags. Permissible larger bags will be X-rayed. All bags are subject to search by Prudential Center security team members at each point of entry. Bags that do not meet these expectations must be returned to the guest’s vehicle or stored in a Prudential Center supplied locker at the guest’s expense. Lockers are located outside the M&M Tower and Lafayette Street entrances.
  • PROHIBITED ITEMS: Banners/flags, signs, balloons, beach balls and noisemakers are prohibited and will be confiscated. A full list of prohibited items is available on the Prudential Center website.
  • A-Z GUIDE: A full FAQ page for the venue is available on the Prudential Center website.

Prudential Center: Directions & Parking

Prudential Center: Graduate Information

  • ARRIVAL TIME: Graduates must report to Prudential Center at 7:30 a.m. and proceed to the M&M Tower entrance to the building. The M&M Tower is located at southeast corner of the building at Mulberry Street and Lafayette Street.
  • REGALIA & READER CARDS: Graduates should put their cap with tassel (on the right) and gown with stole on before leaving their car and bring their reader cards with them.
  • SEATING: Seating for graduates is by school (ASB, CA, HGS, SSHS, TAS). Graduates may sit with their friends and classmates within these schools. Friends should stand behind or in front of each other when lining up.
  • COURTESY & SAFETY: All participants and attendees are to remain seated until the conclusion of the ceremony. Banners/flags, signs, balloons, beach balls and noisemakers are prohibited and will be confiscated. A full list of prohibited items is available on the Pru Center website.
  • DURATION & EXIT: The ceremony is expected to last 3 hours. After the ceremony, graduates will be directed to exit Prudential Center via the M&M Tower. Please plan to meet your families outside of the arena on Mulberry Street.

Prudential Center: Guest Information

Doors to Prudential Center will open at 7:30 a.m. Guests may enter the building through any of the following 3 entrances:

  • Citizens Tower entrance– northeast corner of the building at Mulberry Street and Edison Place
  • M&M Tower entrance*– southeast corner of the building at Mulberry and Lafayette Streets
  • Lafayette Street entrance*– located on Lafayette Street

*Guests should refer to the Bag Policy above when selecting their building entrance

Prudential Center is ADA compliant. Both the Citizens and M&M Towers have elevators. If you need to drop off a guest, we recommend you do so outside the Citizens Tower. Handicap accessible seating is available in sections 3, 8, 19 and 22 and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here for more information on ADA services.

Concession stands will have food and beverages available for purchase. Cash will NOT be accepted at concession stands or retail locations. Pay with a debit or credit card using tap to pay, chip or swipe, or mobile payment, including Apple Pay and Google Pay.

The ceremony is expected to last 3 hours. All participants and attendees are to remain seated until the conclusion of the ceremony. After the ceremony, guests will be directed to exit Prudential Center via the Citizens Tower or Lafayette Street entrance. Please plan to meet your graduates outside of the arena on Mulberry Street.

Live Stream

Can’t attend the Ceremony but want to cheer on your graduate?  The entire ceremony will be streamed live. On the morning of commencement, there will be a link for viewing on the Ramapo College Commencement webpage: www.ramapo.edu/commencement

ANNOUNCEMENTS: CLASS OF 2025

Email Announcement Archive

April 5, 2025: 5 Days Left to Order your Cap & Gown

March 27, 2025: Less than 50 days to Commencement!

March 5, 2025: Cap & Gown Order Deadline: March 8

February 13, 2025: Checking In: 2025 Commencement Deadlines

January 28, 2025: 2025 Commencement & Graduation Deadlines/Info

October 30, 2024:  2025 Arching & Commencement Announcement

 

Undergraduate Student Speaker

GRADUATE REPRESENTATIVE

Nikita Hanover, Class of 2025

Nikita Hanover is a first-generation student from Guyana who is earning her degree in Social Work with a minor in Psychology. She is an Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) scholar, consecutive Dean’s list student, and the recipient of several awards, including the Sophomore Outstanding Leadership Award, Junior Outstanding Leadership Award, Emerging Leaders Award, and The Jerome Lee Award. Nikita is also a proud member of the Tri Alpha Honor Society and Phi Alpha Honor Society.

Throughout her academic journey, Nikita has demonstrated a deep commitment to advocacy, mentorship, and community engagement. She has made a lasting impact through her internships with the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Compliance and the Civic & Community Engagement Center (WeCare Program), as well as her volunteer work with the Office of Violence Prevention.

During her time at Ramapo, Nikita has demonstrated exceptional leadership as President of the Students of Caribbean Ancestry organization, a resident assistant, peer facilitator, and as an EOF mentor and academic assistant for first-year EOF students.

Nikita’s involvement and leadership also extend beyond campus. She strives to be a beacon of change, bridging gaps in mental health access and policy reform for marginalized communities. As she prepares to pursue her master’s degree in Social Work with a clinical concentration, Nikita remains committed to advancing research on generational trauma, financial challenges, and mental health disparities for the Caribbean & South American diaspora. Overall, Nikita expresses that her goal as a clinical social worker is to provide a listening ear and be a voice for the voiceless.

Keynote Speaker
Class of 2025 Legacy

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 $20.25 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 2024-25 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/

Village Senior Night/Cap Decorating: May 5

Join your class at the annual Village Senior Night/Cap Decorating event on May 5th from 8pm-10pm in Thomases Commons in The Village Apartments.

Ordering Regalia (Cap & Gown): Deadline for Free Shipping March 8

Regalia is required for participation in the Arching Ceremony on campus on Wednesday, May 14 and the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony at Prudential Center on Thursday, May 15.

Details:

  • The Bachelor’s package (for undergraduates) is $86. It includes a black cap & gown, degree color tassel, zipper pull, and Ramapo stole.

The deadline to order your regalia with free shipping to campus to pick up at Grad Fair is Saturday, March 8.

The deadline to order your regalia and have it mailed to your home (S&H fees apply) is Saturday, April 12.

So, now what?

  • If you do not attend the Grad Fair on April 10, pre-ordered Regalia shipped to the campus, can be picked up at the Ramapo Bookstore during normal business hours.  
  • Any orders placed after March 8, will be shipped to your home address. 
  • Stoles can be picked up from the bookstore, they will not be in your shipped to home package.

Please direct questions related to regalia (cap & gown) to bookstore@ramapo.edu

Graduation Application

In order for your name to be listed in the Commencement program you must submit your graduation application by Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

The online graduation application is accessible after you meet with your advisor for a degree audit and access to the application is approved. Instructions on the application process can be found here. 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 (March 17-22)!


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.

 

Grad50: 50 Days to Commencement Celebration: March 26
  • On March 26, we celebrate the RCNJ Class of 2025 and the eve of our countdown: Grad50-Fifty Days Until Undergraduate 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 and more. The first 100 graduates in attendance will enter into a raffle for free Ramapo swag. Questions? Email commencement@ramapo.edu.
Grad Fair: April 10

Join us from 12 p.m. – 5:30  p.m at the Arch. Rain site: Friends Hall (SC 219).

Class of 2025, Grad Fair is the one day only, one-stop shop to get everything you need for the Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement ceremonies.

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 2025: Regalia Pick-up (pre-ordered) and Stoles, RSVP to Arching, Undergraduate 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.

Undergraduate Photos and Videos: March 26 and April 10

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 Undergraduate 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…” photos will be displayed on the Jumbotron at Prudential Center. Both video recordings and photos will take place at Grad50 and Grad Fair.

Graduation vs. Commencement

Graduation and Commencement are often confused for one another.

Graduation is the completion of all degree requirements as certified and recorded on a student’s official transcript.  To graduate from Ramapo College, you must submit an online graduation application by the required deadline.  Click here for more information on the graduation requirement, the online graduation application and deadline dates.

Commencement is the ceremony that celebrates the completion (or anticipated completion) of your degree. All January graduates and June & August graduation candidates are invited to participate. Commencement marks the conclusion of your academic career; a time for the Ramapo College community, along with your family and friends, to celebrate you. Participation in this ceremony does not guarantee graduation.

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