28th Annual Rites of Passage Ceremony
The Rites of Passage Ceremony is a celebration to honor Black and Latinx-identified students who, through resolute persistence, have successfully completed an Undergraduate or Graduate degree at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. With the events of COVID-19 changing life as we all know it, the resolute persistence and pure grit of the class of 2020 is evident even more now. This event recognizes their accomplishments, hard work and dedication, while simultaneously acknowledging the contributions of their families and networks of support. The Rites of Passage Ceremony Reception will be held immediately afterwards virtually and will be DJ’ed over IG live.
Students must register by May 16 in order to participate. Opportunities to speak/perform at the ceremony are listed below.
Register by visiting the Rites of Passage event on the Rutgers getINVOLVED website here!
The 2020 Rites of Passage Ceremony will be held on Friday May 29, 2020 from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. virtually.
Mason Gross Virtual Commencement
Saturday, May 30th at 10 a.m.
Join us for a virtual celebration to commemorate students completing a BFA, BM, MFA, MM, AD, or DMA in Visual Arts, Dance, Design, Digital Filmmaking, Music, or Theater.
BA, MA, EdM, and PhD students earning a degree in art, dance education, music, or theater will also be recognized.
We will hear from the Interim Dean, Gerry Beegan; the Dean of Students, Mandy Feiler; the Department Chairs and Directors; as well as the 2020 Student Speaker, Bachelor of Music student Morgan Ulrich.
Ceremony URLs and access instructions will be provided at a later date.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Students should have received a registration email. If you have not yet received this email, please contact advisement@mgsa.rutgers.edu as soon as possible.
Update Regarding University Commencement
Sunday, May 31st at 2 p.m.
Join us for a special virtual event in which celebrate our graduates in a unique experience. We will hear from honorary degree recipient Lester Holt, as well as President Barchi as he confers the official University degrees. Please check back as more information will be shared soon.
Please see the University Commencement website for more information.
May 1, 2020
To the Rutgers University–New Brunswick and RBHS Class of 2020:
Commencement is an important milestone, especially for you, our students, but also for your family, friends, and loved ones; for our faculty and our staff who work tirelessly to ensure that you succeed; for our alumni, waiting to welcome you with open arms; and for the Rutgers Community as a whole. In this time of uncertainty, celebrating your graduation is more important than ever, because it brings us together to recognize your achievements with a sense of pride and admiration, even amidst social distancing.
We are pleased to announce University Commencement: A Virtual Celebration, which will be held on Sunday, May 31, at 2 p.m. During this unique virtual experience, we will celebrate our graduates and recognize your resilience and resourcefulness. The Commencement Speaker, Lester Holt, will address the Class of 2020. At that time, we will also officially award your degrees. More details will follow in the coming weeks. We encourage you and your loved ones to join us for what we know will be a fitting celebration. A recording of this celebration will be available for anyone who is not able to view the ceremony at its scheduled time.
In addition, each school is planning its own way to celebrate the Class of 2020 this spring. The plans are as diverse as our course offerings, celebrating not just your degrees but also the world-class education you’ve been a part of. More information on each school’s celebration will come from your Dean.
We remain committed to finding opportunities to bring you together in person for celebrations within your schools when feasible and safe. We know how important this is to you and your families. Just as important, we want you to know that we take enormous pride in you right now and that we look forward to honoring your accomplishments and awarding your degrees through our virtual celebration on May 31.
Sincerely,
Robert Barchi, President
Christopher Molloy, Chancellor, Rutgers University–New Brunswick
Brian Strom, Chancellor, Rutgers Biomedical & Health Sciences
IMPORTANT: Graduation Information (May 2020) – Undergraduate Students
Though Commencement is currently suspended, undergraduate students anticipating completing May 2020 degree requirements must submit a diploma application. Please contact the Undergraduate Registrar’s Office at 848-445-7000 with any questions.
