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Student Speaker
Applications for Undergraduate Student Commencement Speaker
The Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs is requesting applications from members of the undergraduate graduating class of 2025 for the Undergraduate Commencement Speaker at our commencement exercises on Thursday, May 22, 2025. We request applications from graduating seniors who are not only strong students, but who also have demonstrated commitment to leadership and community service. The selected student will have the honor of representing the graduating class at the Prudential Center, an arena that seats over 17,000!
Applications must include letters of recommendation from two faculty and/or staff members and a one-paragraph summary with the intended themes of the speech. The topic of the speech should focus on an event at RU-N that resonates with you, demonstrates your commitment to RU-N and be both personally meaningful and relevant to the Class of 2024. Applicants must have at least a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA or higher (Fall 2024). A selection committee will review the applications and select finalists. Finalists must be available to present a two-minute speech to the committee based on the paragraph submitted on Friday, April 11, 2025 (between 9am – 1pm).
Graduating students have the opportunity to take their graduation portraits with Island Photography. If you have applied for graduation through your academic unit, you should have received an email with your login details. Please check your spam folder if you don’t see it in your inbox.
If you haven't received the email, you can contact Island Photography directly at (516) 767-1234 or via email at custserv@islandphoto.com to schedule an appointment.
Important Note: There will be no official yearbook for the Class of 2025. This means you are welcome to take your portraits at any studio of your choice.
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Hello Grads! On behalf of the Barnes and Noble, here at Rutgers Newark, Congratulations!
You can Order Your Rutgers-Newark Commencement Regalia online. When ordering online, you can choose to have your regalia sent to your home or pick up it you at the Rutgers-Newark Bookstore. The deadline for ordering online are:
April 20, 2025: DEADLINE to order for ship-to-home (S&H fee applies).
March 31, 2025: DEADLINE to order for Bookstore pick up.
If you miss the online order deadline, you will need to purchase regalia from the in-stock selection at the Rutgers-Newark Bookstore. There will be limited sizes and availability, especially the closer to the ceremonies.
The bookstore is located at 42 Halsey Street, Newark, NJ 07102. If you should have any questions, please email sm409@bncollege.com.
Tina Stenman | Territory Manager |Commemorative Brands, Inc. | Balfour | PA/DE/NJ/NY| Direct: 484-868-3599
Parking and Venue Policies
Graduating students and their guests will be able to park in either Rutgers-Newark parking decks for free or at other locations for a fee.
Rutgers Parking
Free commencement parking for all graduates and their guests all day long for all ceremonies (Undergraduate, Graduate and Law) will be available in the following Rutgers-Newark parking decks:
Deck 1: 200 University Ave, Newark, NJ
Deck 2: 166 Washington Street, Newark, NJ
Deck 3: 180 Washington Street, Newark, NJ (next to Deck 2)
Rutgers University-Newark will be providing shuttle services to Prudential Center on Wednesday, May 15. Complimentary shuttles to and from the Prudential Center will run continuously from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m. Departure boarding to the Prudential Center will be located at Decks 2, 3, and 4 (parking is complimentary on campus). Guests traveling from the Prudential Center back to campus should board at the corner of Lafayette and Broad Streets
Rutgers University - Newark Commencement (SASN, SCJ, SPAA, RBS-Undergraduate, GSN)
In addition to RU-N parking, the above graduates and their families can park in or near the Prudential Center. It is highly advised that guests use public transportation on commencement day.
Rutgers Business School Graduate Convocation and Law School Commencement
In addition to RU-N parking, the above graduates and their families can park at NJPAC. We found that in previous years many students chose to park there for the convenience of their guests. Look for Parking Lots A and C, adjacent east of the building. Each of these lots contain special parking locations for handicapped patrons. Eagle West lot (120 Orange St., Newark NJ) will also be available.
For students in need of special accommodations, we ask that you reach out to the appropriate school contact and include TitleIX@newark.rutgers.edu.
Guests in need of accommodations should review Prudential Center policies and procedures. The University does not arrange for guest accommodations at the Prudential Center. https://www.prucenter.com/ada-guide
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The Paul Robeson Campus Center is an accessible facility that can accommodate guests with physical challenges. Graduate School staff will be available to provide assistance. For questions related to disability accessibility, please contact Kinna Perry at kinnap@rutgers.edu or (973) 353-5834.
Special Accommodations for Prudential Center - The Prudential Center is an accessible facility that can accommodate guests with physical challenges. Please visit https://www.prucenter.com/ada-guide for details. For questions related to disability accessibility, please contact Lorren Whitaker lw553@newark.rutgers.edu or 973-353-5375.
Guests requiring accommodations at NJPAC are encouraged to reach out to their dedicated customer service team at 1-888-MY-NJPAC for personalized assistance.
Students who require accommodations should contact: rbs_graduation_grad@business.rutgers.edu and RBS staff will accommodate their seating arrangements.
NJPAC provides accessible parking accommodations to all patrons requiring such assistance. For detailed information regarding designated parking locations tailored to specific needs, please reach out to NJPAC customer service at 1-888-MY-NJPAC. For parking information, directions, and maps, please visit https://www.njpac.org/visit/directions-and-parking/
Guests with special needs should be dropped off near the entrance of NJPAC at or soon after 3:00pm. NJPAC ushers will direct ticketed guests and their families with special needs to a designated location. Only the person(s) accompanying that guest when they enter NJPAC will be seated together.
NJPAC offers ADA seating in every tier should your guests require it. If you will have a guest with a disability that requires a special seating arrangement, contact Gina Davila at gdavila@law.rutgers.edu for more information.
NJPAC parking lots contain special parking locations for disabled patrons.
