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Lawrenceville Commencement Information
Lawrenceville Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony to be Held Outside
The May 15 Lawrenceville Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony will be held outside on the Campus Green with the procession beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Click on the following links for further Commencement details:
Academic Attire
Rider University provides each graduate with a keepsake cap and gown that does not need to be returned. Graduates will receive a black gown and cap, along with a hood in the appropriate color to designate school, and a tassel. Pre-ordering or pre-measurement for cap and gown is not required. If you have not yet picked up your Commencement attire, please contact the Office of the President at 609-896-5001 or e-mail commencement@rider.edu to make arrangements to get your cap, gown and rain tickets. Fulfillment of all graduation requirements and photo ID are required for cap and gown pick up. Cap and gown MUST be picked up BEFORE Commencement day.
Commencement Day Instructions
Students should plan to arrive one and a half hours before the start of the procession. Please report to the designated gathering area for your school and check in with the marshals for robing and procession line up instructions. Please refer to the diagrams (Graduate and CCS or Undergraduate) for gathering and seating areas.You will receive a pre-printed information card that includes your name and honors. You will need to hand this to the faculty member or administrator reading names before you walk across the stage to be recognized.
Ceremony Seating
Given favorable weather, we intend to hold the Commencement ceremony outside on the Campus Green to accommodate all of our graduates and their guests. Tickets are not required and graduates may have as many guests attend as they wish.
Disabled Parking and Seating
Accommodations are available for individuals who require special parking or seating due to a disability. Golf cart transportation to the special needs seating area will also be provided. Please contact the Office of the President at 609-896-5001 or e-mail commencement@rider.edu with information about your particular needs and to reserve these seats and services. A sign language interpreter will be present at the Commencement ceremony.
Severe Weather Policy and Rain Tickets
In the event of severe weather (heavy winds, lightening, very heavy rain) the Commencement ceremony will be moved indoors into the Student Recreation Center (SRC). Due to seating capacity limitations, tickets are required for entry into the SRC; one ticket per person is required for entry, including adults and children of all ages. Additional rain tickets are not available, and requests for additional tickets cannot be honored. Graduates will receive rain tickets when they pick up their cap and gown. The number of tickets to be issued will be determined as degree applications are received. The special needs seating area available for individuals with disabilities also requires a ticket for admittance into the SRC. Live indoor viewing of the ceremony will be provided in the Alumni Gym, Bart Luedeke Theater and Yvonne Theater. Tickets are not required for entry into these venues. Live video streaming of the event can also be viewed on www.rider.edu/commencement. The latest information about the location of the ceremony will be announced on the Rider website http://www.rider.edu/; the Rider information hotline at 609-219-2000; and local radio stations including WRRC 107.7 FM, WPST 94.5 FM, NJ 101.5 FM, WHWH 1350 AM, WBUD 1260 AM, WIMG 1300 AM, , and WOR-NY 710 AM.
Graduating Seniors' Breakfast
All Undergraduates and their guests are invited to the Graduating Seniors’ Breakfast hosted by the Board of Chaplains beginning at 7 a.m. on Friday, May 15 in Daly’s Dining Center. Please see the invitation for more information. Graduating student athletes and their guests are invited to attend the Bronc Farewell Breakfast on Friday, May 15 beginning at 7:30am in Daly’s Bronc Diner. All graduates and their guests are invited to a reception following the ceremony. Please join faculty and staff in the Cavalla Room, Bart Luedeke Center for desserts and beverages. Water will be available at stations around the Campus Green and is provided under all graduates’ chairs. Cranberries Café is also open for beverages and light snacks on Commencement days.
Diplomas and Transcripts
Diplomas will not be distributed during the Commencement ceremony. Upon clearance from the Registrar and Dean, the Registrar will order the diploma and it will be sent via regular mail. December graduates can expect delivery by mid-April; May graduates can expect delivery by mid-September; and August graduates should expect delivery by mid-December. Similarly, the Registrar’s Office will mail transcripts for December graduates by mid-February, by mid-June for May graduates, or by mid-September for August graduates. Diplomas and transcripts shall indicate academic honors based upon the cumulative grade point average achieved at the end of the senior year.
Academic Honors
Rider University recognizes exceptional academic achievement at Commencement. Qualifications for academic honors at Commencement are based upon the student's academic average at the end of the first term of the senior year (December 2008 for May 2009 Commencement). Honors, as noted in the Commencement program and by tassel color, are awarded as follows:
Undergraduate (white tassel): Graduate (cranberry tassel):
Summa Cum Laude: academic average 3.75 - 4.00 With Distinction: academic average above 3.85
Magna Cum Laude: academic average 3.50 - 3.74
Cum Laude: academic average 3.25 - 3.49
Commencement Candidate Lists
Students can verify their degree status by checking the Commencement candidates list of students who have filed a degree application and have been cleared for graduation. If you are not listed and feel you should be, please contact your dean’s office directly.
Commencement Announcements
Commencement announcements will be available for purchase in the University Store in late March 2009. Diploma frames, balloons and other Rider merchandise may be ordered through the University Store beginning March 31, 2009. Please contact the University Store directly at 609-896-5121 for more information.
Flower Orders
Flowers may be pre-ordered or purchased at the Commencement ceremonies. More information will be posted in the near future.
Commencement Photos and DVDs
Professional photographers from Legacy Photographic will photograph all graduates during the ceremony. They will take one photo in front of the gonfalon representing your school as you approach the stage, and a second as you shake President Rozanski’s hand on stage. Information on how to order photos is emailed and mailed to each graduate approximately 2-3 days after Commencement. Please direct photography questions to Legacy Photographics at 1-800-447-2550.
A video recording of the Commencement ceremony will be available on DVD and may be ordered through the Rider University Office of Information Technologies (OIT) Media Support department using the downloadable order form. Please contact 609-896-5000 x7375 with any questions concerning the Commencement DVD.
Please see the FAQ Lawrenceville Commencement web page for additional details.
For more information, please contact Special Events and Projects Manager Beverly Braddock at (609) 896-5001 or commencement@rider.edu.
