Class of 2010
If you have not done so, please think about booking accommodations as soon as possible. For your convenience, we have listed local accommodations on the following website: (Off-Campus Housing Accommodations)
If graduates would like to purchase personalized graduation announcements, ordering can be made through the University bookstore. Please note: announcements are not tickets to the Commencement ceremony.
All graduating seniors are required to complete a brief online survey for the Career Center BEFORE picking up their cap and gown (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/rwugradsurvey2010). Each year, the Career Center reports to the University community the employment and graduation rates of our newest graduates. The Career Center will provide lists of students who have completed the survey to the bookstore and only students who are on the list will be able to pick up their cap and gown. Caps and gowns will be provided free of charge through the bookstore and may picked up beginning March 30 through May 21, 2010. Graduating seniors who pick up their cap and gown during the bookstore’s Senior Event Days, March 30 through May 21, 2010, will receive a 25% off coupon good for all clothing merchandise at the University bookstore.
If you are reading this, you know that your education at Roger Williams University is coming to a close and you may need to think about finding a job that begins after Commencement. The Career Center offers graduating students the opportunity to interview with organizations that come to campus during the year that have professional positions available, some nationwide. To see who is coming to campus, log on to HAWKS HUNT.
The annual Career Fair will be held on Wednesday, March 31, from 1-3:30 pm in the Fieldhouse. Over 120 employers and graduate schools are expected to attend. We have many events, both on and off campus, that will connect you to employers. Please check them out and RSVP to them on HAWKS HUNT.
If you are majoring in Accounting, Computer Information Systems, Management, Psychology, Communications or Graphic Design, you have hopefully either completed or are in the process of completing your REQUIRED cooperative education/internship experience. If you have not yet thought about this REQUIREMENT, please contact the Career Center immediately at 401-254-3224.
The Career Center has moved. Please visit us in our new location across from the Lower Commons and the Mail Room.
The Commencement Ceremony begins at 10:00 am on Saturday, May 22, 2010 under the tent on the main athletic field, rain or shine. The ceremony last approximately two and a half hours.
The Commencement Mall is your one stop shopping for all of your Commencement Ball needs from tux rental, flowers, and limousines. This event will be held on Friday, March 26 from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm in the Campus Recreation Center Fieldhouse.
The Commencement Ball will take place on Saturday, May 8, from 6:00pm - 12:00am at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Hotel rooms are available at the Westin. More information on ticket prices and sale dates will be available at the start of the spring semester through the Department of Student Programs and Leadership at 401-254-3088.
The Parent Dinner Dance will take place on Friday, May 21, at 6:30pm at the Venus de Milo Restaurant in Swansea, Massachusetts (Route 6). Tickets will be available for purchase online beginning in January. Ticket prices have not been set yet. The deadline to RSVP is May 7, 2010. For more information, please contact the Department of Student Programs and Leadership at 401-254-3088.
A President's Reception in honor of your graduation will take place on Wednesday, May 19, from 5:00-7:30 pm. The formal invitation will be given to you when you pick up your Commencement tickets. The deadline to RSVP is May 5, 2010.
Only students who have applied for and have been authorized to appear on the graduation list can participate in the Commencement Ceremony. This requires all students to have received financial clearance from the Bursar's Office and confirmation of graduation status from the Registrar's Office. Students whose name does not appear on the list cannot participate in the ceremony under no circumstances. No exceptions will be made.
A tentative list of those students cleared for graduation will be placed on the Registrar's website. This list will be updated every Friday. Should you have any questions regarding your status, please contact Anabela in the Registrar's Office at 401-254-3510. Students in the School of Continuing Studies, please call Pam Downey at 401-254-4805 to check your graduation status.
Guests must be seated no later than 9:30am as that is the time the procession begins. While we encourage guests to arrive early, no one is allowed to take their seat before 8:00am and no one may reserve seats. Fire regulations prohibits any guest to stand on the outskirts of the tent. Everyone must be seated.
All seniors should be sure that the Registrar’s Office has the most updated mailing address on record so that important information prior to Commencement will be able to get to you. There is a form on the Registrar’s website to make these changes.
All graduates must move out of their residence hall room by 7:00pm on the day of Commencement, Saturday, May 22. Please plan accordingly. Questions regarding this may be directed to the Department of Housing and Residential Life at 401-254-3161.
Due to the large number of graduates and guests participating in the ceremony, parking on campus will be difficult. Graduates living on campus must park in Lot J only. Guests and graduates arriving from off campus must enter through the North Gate and park in the North Parking Lots.
No parking will be allowed in the lots surrounding the Campus Recreation Center. Campus shuttles will run throughout the day to transport graduates and their guests to and from the ceremony and receptions. Please plan on arriving early.
Graduates or guests with special needs should contact Kate Tobin in the Public Safety Office at least five business days prior to the ceremony to make arrangements for handicap parking. She can be reached through email at ctobin@rwu.edu or by phone at (401) 254-3703.
For parking requests, please identify the driver of the vehicle, as well as vehicle’s license plate number and state.
Guests with disabilities or special needs must register with the Office of Special Events at 401-254-3067. These guests will be seated in the Assisted Seating Section and may be accompanied by one additional guest. These guests will need to check in with the Marshal at the seating area and all guests must have a ticket. The deadline for registering is May 8, 2010.
Pets
University policy prohibits bringing pets on campus grounds and in buildings unless it is a service animal.
A photographer from Chappell Studio will be at ceremony to take a candid photograph of you. Prior to the ceremony, you may preregister your permanent email address by visiting www.gradimages.com and click on Pre-Event Registration. You may add contact information for up to 6 additional relatives and/or friends.
Following the ceremony, you will receive free passport-sized digital proof of this photo on an order card within 5 to 7 days. After the ceremony, you may order online at www.gradimages.com or call 800-261-2576. Since professional photographs will be available, family members and guests are encouraged to remain in their seats, relax, and enjoy the ceremony. Questions may be emailed to service@gradimages.com.
Interested in immortalizing your college years at Commencement? These photos will be shown in a slideshow prior to the procession at the Commencement Ceremony. Please note: these photos will not be used in the yearbook. Please submit the photos on a disk with appropriate photos only to the Department of Special Events and Conferences located in the Alumni and Admissions Center, Room 214 or e-mail to: hdagwan@rwu.edu. All photos must be submitted by April 16, 2010.
Please feel free to contact the Office of Special Events & Conferences at (401) 254-3067 or the Continuing Education Office at (401) 276-4846 if you have any questions or need more information. Please remember, questions regarding your status as a potential graduate should be directed to the Registrar’s Office at (401) 254-3510.
Informal receptions for each respective school follows the ceremony and we encourage graduates and their guests to attend these gatherings. The locations for these receptions will be listed in the commencement program you will receive at the ceremony.
There will be a rehearsal on Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 12:15pm at D'Angelo Common. The rain location will be in the Campus Recreation Center Fieldhouse. All graduates must attend this rehearsal as instructions regarding the ceremony will be given at that time. After rehearsal, enjoy the Senior BBQ at Colt State Park! There will be free food, prizes and giveaways. Free to all RWU seniors with a ticket that will be given when you pick up your Commencement tickets! This event is sponsored by the Office of Alumni Relations.
Applications for Senior Class Speaker may be picked up at the Office of Student Life in the Center for Student Development beginning February 15. Requirements, auditioning information, and the selection process will be included with the applications. All Seniors who have been cleared for graduation are eligible to apply. Please contact Kathleen McMahon, Dean of Students, at (401) 254-3490 with questions. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, March 9, 2010 by 4:00 pm.
Applications for National Anthem Singer will be available beginning February 22, 2010 in the Special Events & Conferences Office located in the Alumni and Admissions Center, Room 214. Requirements, auditioning information, and the selection process will be included with the application. All undergraduates who have been cleared for graduation are eligible to apply.
The ceremony will be simulcast in the Campus Recreation Center Gymnasium and in the Law School, Room 283, for additional guests. No tickets are needed at either of these locations. Graduates may invite as many guests as they would like but realize that seating under the tent is limited to 6 tickets per graduate.
Each graduate will receive 6 tickets for seating under the Commencement tent. Small children who will be sitting on a lap are not required to have a ticket. Fire regulations prohibits any guest to stand on the outskirts of the tent. Everyone must be seated and seating is on a first come, first served basis. Graduates may invite as many guests as they would like, but must realize that seating under the tent is limited to 6 tickets per graduate. There will be no extra tickets given.
Day division students and Continuing Studies students may pick up their 6 tickets in the Office of Special Events & Conferences located in the Alumni and Admissions Center, Room 214, during the hours of 8:30 am- 4:00 pm, Monday-Friday beginning March 1 through April 23, 2010. For those Continuing Studies students who will not be able to pick up their tickets in Bristol, please call 401-254-3067 so other arrangements can be made.
The University is proud to offer each graduate a free DVD copy of the ceremony which will be sent to your home address.
You may buy yearbooks at the Department of Student Programs and Leadership in cash or check payable to Roger Williams University or by credit card online through http://www.jostensyearbooks.com/.
Yearbook Price Schedule:
$60.00 September 1, 2009 - November 30, 2009
$65.00 December 1, 2009 - April 16, 2010
$75.00 after April 17, 2010
Senior Portraits
Senior portraits will be taken on campus from November 17-20 as well as March 23-26. Seniors can schedule a time at www.ouryear.com (School ID: 273). There will be a $10.00 sitting fee. Students can submit their own headshot in lieu of having a portrait taken. These photos must be electronic and be at least 300 dpi. Submit photos to the Yearbook Office via the Department of Student Programs and Leadership email studentprograms@rwu.edu. Any other questions can be directed to the Department of Student Programs and Leadership at (401) 254-3088.
Submitting Photos to the Yearbook
The Yearbook Staff invites students and parents to submit photos for the yearbook. If you have great photos of school and community events or you and your friends just having fun, we would like to see them. Our photographers cannot be everywhere. Help us get as many photos as possible to create a terrific book everyone will want to have.
Log on to: images.jostens.com
Enter Login ID: 4000002976
Password: Hawks
- Browse to select the photo(s) you wish to upload, click on "Image Share".
- Enter information about the photo and provide contact information in case the staff needs additional information. Click "Save Details".
The last day to submit photos is April 16, 2010.