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Faculty & Staff Information for 2025 Arching & Commencement Ceremonies

Class of 2025 Ceremonies & Celebrations Schedule

May 14: Arching Day

- Wednesday, May 14: Ramapo College will host Class of 2025 graduates and their guests on campus for the time-honored tradition of Arching Day! The Arching Ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. Other special recognition programs take place on campus throughout the day.
  - 10:00 a.m.: Nursing Pinning Ceremony
  - 12:00 p.m.: Rites of Passage Ceremony
  - 2:00 p.m.: Academic Achievement Ceremony
  - 3:00 p.m.: Pictures and Music in the Grove
  - 4:15 p.m.: Organization/Line-up of Graduates, Faculty, Staff, and Guests
  - 4:30 p.m.: Arching Ceremony along Mansion Road
  - 4:30 – 7:00 p.m.: Farewell Reception

May 15: Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony

- Thursday, May 15: The Ramapo College Class of 2025 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 8:40 a.m.
  - 6:00 a.m.: Marshals Arrive at Prudential Center (see transportation options below)
  - 7:15 a.m.: Faculty & Staff Processing Arrive at Prudential Center (see transportation options below)
  - 7:30 a.m.: Prudential Center Doors Open for Graduates and Guests
  - 8:40 a.m.: Processional Begins (Ceremony is estimated to be 3 hours long)

May 22: Graduate Programs Commencement

- Thursday, May 22: Ramapo College Class of 2025 Graduate Programs Commencement Ceremony will be held on campus in the Arena of the Bill Bradley Sports and Recreation Center.
  - 2:30 p.m.: Marshals Arrive at Bradley Center
  - 4:00 p.m.: Faculty & Staff Processing Arrive at Bradley Center
  - 4:00 p.m.: Bradley Center Doors Open for Graduates and Guests
  - 5:15 p.m.: Processional Begins (Ceremony is estimated to be 2 hours long)

Service & Support Options

The 2025 Faculty & Staff Arching/Commencements Participation Form was due March 14, 2025.

As an employee of the College, your options to support the Class of 2025 through our Arching and Commencement Ceremonies are to serve as a marshal or formally process!

Serve as a Marshal

MARSHAL: If you serve as a marshal, you will generally wear Ramapo attire (see Ceremony Attire below) while taking on organizational and operational responsibilities during the events, without which the ceremonies would not be possible! Roles are assigned 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 12 and 19 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.

Formally Process

PROCESS: If you process, you will wear academic regalia (see Ceremony Attire below) while watching the ceremony and cheering for our graduates. At Arching, you will line Mansion Road. At the Commencement Ceremonies, you will be seated on the arena floor and may then move to congratulate graduates after they cross the stage. In addition, you may choose to start “the wave” or choreograph a flash mob performance. Information will be provided prior to the events with instructions on when to arrive, what to bring, and where to line up.

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 Attire

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 issued a Ramapo Commencement polo, please take the time to locate your shirt now. If you are issued Ramapo attire to serve as a marshal this year, please serve at two or more events.

Processional Attire

PROCESS: If you process, you will wear academic regalia. If you do not own regalia, you may request rental regalia to wear for two or more events. If the College rents you regalia to formally process, you will be required to participate in at least two of the three ceremonies (i.e. Arching & Undergraduate Commencement; Arching & Graduate Programs Commencement; both Commencements; or Arching & both Commencements). You will receive an email with details on when and where to pick up your regalia.

Transportation Options to Prudential Center

Faculty and staff have three transportation options to get to and from Prudential Center in Newark for the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on May 15.

Shuttle

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

DRIVE: Parking at the Prudential Center is limited and expensive. 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 are asked the town you are traveling from to help facilitate a carpool among colleagues. Please note this information will only be used for this purpose and will be kept confidential otherwise. Employees will not be reimbursed for parking should they choose to drive to the Prudential Center without a carpool.

Mass Transit

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, parking, and bus or train tickets will not be reimbursed as employees understand that Prudential Center is their work location on May 15, 2025.

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!

FAQs

If I choose to process and the College rents my regalia, do I have to participate in all three ceremonies?
- If the College rents you regalia to formally process, please participate in at least two of the three ceremonies.
Will meals be served?
- Yes, breakfast will be served at Undergraduate Commencement for all staff. Also, a meal voucher will be distributed at Arching. No meals are provided at Graduate Programs Commencement.
Do I have to go to the office on Thursday, May 15 if I am serving as a marshal at the Undergraduate Commencement that day?
- Marshals are not required to report to Ramapo on Thursday, May 15 if they are working the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony that morning, as Prudential Center is their work location for the day. However, marshals should speak with their supervisors as some offices must be staffed that day.

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