Information for Lawrenceville Campus Graduates

The Lawrenceville Commencement 2013 event dates are:

• Graduate and College of Continuing Studies Commencement ceremony - Thursday, May 16, 2013, 5 p.m., Lawrenceville
• Undergraduate Commencement ceremony - Friday, May 17, 2013, 9:30 a.m., Lawrenceville

Commencement will be held outdoors on the Campus Green. If we experience severe weather, the affected ceremony will be moved indoors.

If you plan to complete your degree requirements in December 2012, May or August 2013, please review the following important information:

Before you are eligible to participate in the Commencement ceremony, you must have:

1. filed a degree application with your academic dean’s office
2. paid all financial obligations to the University
3. returned all books to the University Library

If you have any questions about your graduation eligibility, contact your dean as soon as possible. Only students who will fulfill graduation requirements before August 2013 can walk in the 2013 Commencement ceremony. December 2013 graduates should plan to walk in May 2014.

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. Fulfillment of all graduation requirements, including financial obligations, and photo ID are required for cap and gown pick up.

After April 15, academic attire may be picked up in the Office of the President, located on the ground floor of the Moore Library, Room 101, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.  If you are unable to pick up your cap and gown during these times, please email commencement@rider.edu to make alternate arrangements.

Senior Send Off
Senior Send Off was held on April 10 and 11. This event provides convenient access to everything you need to make your graduation plans including exit interviews with Student Financial Services; Career Services and alumni information; class ring, Commencement announcement and diploma frame purchase opportunities.  For more information on any of these areas, please see the web site or contact the office directly.

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. 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.

Special Needs Accomodations, Parking and Seating
Graduating students who may require accomodations to participate in the Commencement ceremony should contact the Office of the President at 609-896-5001 or email commencement@rider.edu with information about your particular needs. Accommodations are also available for guests who require parking or seating due to a disability or special need. 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 email commencement@rider.edu with information about your particular needs and to request these 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; lightning; heavy, continuing rain), the Commencement ceremony will take place in Alumni Gym. Due to seating capacity limitations, all guests (adults and children of all ages and guests seated in the special needs seating area) require a ticket for entrance into Alumni Gym where seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.  When seating capacity is reached in Alumni Gym, remaining ticketed guests will be directed to the adjoining Student Recreation Center where seating will be available to view the ceremony as a live broadcast on a large screen. 

The ceremony, whether indoors or outdoors, will also be broadcast live in the Bart Luedeke Center Theater and Yvonne Theater and on television monitors in various campus locations. Tickets are not required for entry into these venues. Live video streaming of the event can also be viewed on the Rider web site.

Graduates will receive rain tickets when they pick up their cap and gown in April. The number of tickets issued per graduate is determined by the number of approved degree applications and indoor location seat capacity.  Each student participating in the Thursday evening graduate/CCS ceremony will be issued five rain tickets.  Each student participating in the Friday morning undergraduate ceremony will be issued two rain tickets. Please note that additional rain tickets are not available and requests for additional tickets cannot be honored.

May 17 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 17 in Daly’s Dining Center.  Please see the flyer for more details and RSVP information. Graduating student athletes and their guests are invited to attend the Bronc Farewell Breakfast on Friday, May 17 beginning at 7 a.m. in the "Little Italy" dining area of Daly’s Dining Center.

Celebration Reception
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.

Food and Beverage Availability
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-February; May graduates can expect delivery by mid-July; and August graduates should expect delivery by mid-October. 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 2012 for May 2013 Commencement). Honors, as noted in the Commencement program and by tassel color, are awarded as follows:

Undergraduate (white tassel):
Summa Cum Laude: academic average 3.75 - 4.00
Magna Cum Laude: academic average 3.50 - 3.74
Cum Laude: academic average 3.25 - 3.49

Graduate (cranberry tassel):
With Distinction: academic average above 3.85

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. This list will be posted shortly and will be updated regularly. If you are not listed and feel you should be, please contact your dean’s office directly.

Commencement Announcements
Personalized Commencement Announcements may be ordered online through the Balfour web site. Generic Commencement announcements are available for purchase in the University Store. Diploma frames, balloons and other Rider merchandise are available at the University Store or may be ordered online. Please contact the University Store directly at 609-896-5121 for more information.

Flower Orders
Bouquets of roses may be pre-ordered or purchased at the Commencement ceremonies from Commencement Flowers Inc. It is recommended that you pre-order flowers through the Commencement Flower web site.

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.

Greening Graduation

In support of Rider’s commitment to sustainability, several green initiatives are part of Commencement planning. We aim to limit printed communication materials by utilizing mainly electronic communication. The Commencement program is printed with vegetable-based inks on FSC-certified paper with 10 percent post-consumer waste recycled content. Graduates wear eco-friendly caps and gowns that are made from 100 percent, post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, with an average of 23 bottles used to make each gown. Funding for the GreenWeaverTM graduation gowns has been provided by the Rider University Energy and Sustainability Steering Committee (ESSC).

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.