By: Hajar Lababidi | Published: February 28, 2025
Kean has decided to combine the undergraduate and graduate commencements into a single ceremony for the Class of 2025. On Tuesday, May 13, at 8:30 a.m., students, faculty, family and friends will gather at the Prudential Center in Newark to celebrate.
“This consolidated celebration aligns with practices at other research universities and reflects our evolution since integrating the Nathan Weiss Graduate College programs into our academic colleges,” President Lamont Repollet said. “The size of the Prudential Center allows us to provide four guest tickets per graduate, an increase from previous years for our graduate students.”
The choice deviates from previous years when the undergraduate ceremony was on a different day and location than the graduate one, with each lasting around two hours. This year’s ceremony is expected to be longer but not shorten the graduates’ spotlight.
“Every graduate will still walk across the stage and hear their name announced, preserving this important Kean tradition,” Repollet commented. A separate ceremony will be held for doctoral graduates.
“[The] University chose to combine undergraduate and graduate students into one unified commencement ceremony to strengthen the sense of community and allow all graduates to celebrate together as one academic family,” said Nicole Francisco, Associate Vice President of Media Relations. “This new format will highlight the collective accomplishments of all our graduates, and we are confident that the inclusive and vibrant atmosphere…will provide a memorable and joyous experience for the Class of 2025 and their guests.”
The decision was met by mixed reactions from the graduating students.
“As an undergraduate I’m just excited to get my diploma in front of family and friends,” said undergraduate Andrea Vazquez Orozco, who will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication this May. “I don’t believe having the graduate students there will take away from my experience in any way.”
Other students, however, weren’t as enthusiastic.
“From what I’ve seen, a lot of graduate students are frustrated by this change,” Julia Strugala, who is completing her Master of Arts in Communication Studies, said. “Many feel like our accomplishments as graduate students aren’t being treated with the significance they deserve.”
“As someone with ADHD it will be extremely challenging to sit and pay attention to a long ceremony,” Josiah Greer, an undergraduate student who is completing his Bachelor of Science in Business Management, added. “While it could be exciting to celebrate alongside a larger group of graduates, I also have concerns about how it might impact the recognition of individual achievements and the overall organization of the event.”
The ceremony is expected to last over three hours, as both undergraduate and graduate students will have the opportunity to cross the stage and be individually recognized, Francisco explained. For guests requiring specific accommodations, Francisco said the Prudential Center’s Guest Services can be contacted via email at guestservices@prucenter.com (use subject line: Kean University Commencement ADA Accommodations), or by phone at (973) 757-6000.”
The 2024 graduate commencement occurred in the New Jersey Performing Arts Center for graduates, which restricted the number of guests each student could bring. This year, the size of the Prudential Center (the venue of the 2024 undergraduate graduation) is expected to allow both graduate and undergraduate students to bring up to four guests.
Last year, astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson and news anchor Abby Phillip were the commencement speakers for the undergraduate and graduate ceremonies, respectively. With one ceremony this year, there will likely be only one speaker for both groups, although full details have not been disclosed yet.
With the spring semester already underway, graduation for many students is fast approaching. The Graduate Expo, held on Tuesday, February 11, at Kean Union and Tuesday, February 18, at Kean Ocean, gave opportunities for students to place orders for regalia, class rings, yearbooks and more.
At the Graduate Fair, graduates can ask questions related to their commencement and pick up their regalia. The fair will be held on Tuesday, April 29, from 9:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. at the Gateway Building Atrium for Ocean students and on Thursday, May 1, from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. at Downs Hall for Union students. The following departments will be available to offer assistance:
- Registrar’s Office: Verify your graduation status
- Career Services: Access job placement assistance and career resources
- Alumni Engagement: Register for future alumni events
Further information can be found on Kean University’s official website.
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