SMLR Class of 2025 Convocation and 259th Anniversary Commencement

Tickets are required for all graduates and their guests to attend the SMLR Convocation ceremony on Wednesday, May 21.

All SMLR graduates will receive one digital ticket for themselves along with 10 additional digital tickets to share with guests. Tickets for guests are general admission seating.

Digital tickets for the SMLR Convocation ceremony are now available to download in the graduate's Rutgers Ticket Account. Tickets for the SMLR ceremony will be brown in color. Please view the instructions and links below for instructions on how to access your tickets and send them to your guests.

Tickets are required for you as the graduate and for each of your guests attending the ceremony. Please follow the instructions below and download your tickets as soon as possible.

> Visit this page for complete information about tickets for you and for your guests.

Here’s how to claim your tickets:

1. Download the Rutgers Scarlet Knights Ticket app to your phone.
   View this page for links to the app on iPhone and Android phones.
2. Click on “Sign in as Student” and enter your NetID and password.
   View step-by-step instructions for logging in and claiming your tickets.
3. Add tickets to your mobile wallet – click on “Add to Apple Wallet” or “Add to Google Wallet” depending your type of phone. Add ALL tickets to your mobile wallet.
4. Transfer your guest tickets to those who will be attending by entering their name and phone number or email. You can select how many tickets to transfer to each individual.  (Your personal ticket as the graduate cannot be transferred and will remain in your mobile wallet.)
   View instructions for transferring guest tickets.
5. Your guests will receive a link to accept their tickets. If they do not already have the Rutgers Ticket app, they will need to make a new account and download the app to their phone.
   Please provide these instructions to your guests for how to accept their tickets.  

All tickets must be transferred to a mobile wallet to be scanned for entry into Jersey Mike’s Arena for the ceremony. 

Please note: If you are unable to see your tickets when you sign into the ticket app using the “Sign in as Student” link, please email the Rutgers Athletics Ticket Office at tickets@scarletknights.com or call: 1-866-445-GORU (4678).

Separate tickets are also required for the Rutgers University–New Brunswick and Rutgers Health Commencement to be held on Sunday May 18th. Please click here to learn more about how to register for tickets and parking for the Commencement ceremony. 

Congratulations, SMLR graduates!  This is an exciting time, but please make sure to plan ahead so you can truly enjoy it. Here are some tips to make your SMLR Convocation day go smoothly!

• Check-in starts at 9:00am. Please arrive no later than 9:30am. The procession starts sharply at 10:00am.
• Come dressed in your academic regalia (cap, gown, and hood), which is required for participation in the SMLR Convocation - no exceptions. 
• Wear comfortable shoes as you’ll be walking and standing for a long duration. You’ll want to be comfortable! 
• Be prepared to pass through security before entering Jersey Mike’s Arena. There is a bag check. Those with oversized bags or prohibited items may be directed to return such items to their vehicle. Backpacks and large bags/purses are not permitted. 
• Parking is available in the Green Lot and Yellow Lot behind Jersey Mike's Arena. Handicap spaces are on a first-come, first-serve basis. A limited shuttle service to and from the parking lots (Green & Yellow Lots) to Jersey Mike’s Arena will be available.
• Our ceremony will be livestreamed on the school's YouTube channel.
  Here is the link:  https://youtube.com/live/Ad7BaxEdlfA
  After the ceremony, the replay of the ceremony will be available at this same link.
• We anticipate that the ceremony will conclude around 12:00pm.

Please review the document linked below for information about parking, Jersey Mike's arena policies, instructions for graduates during the ceremony, and other important details about our convocation on Wednesday, May 21.

> 2025 Student Information Document for SMLR Convocation

For the SMLR Convocation ceremony on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at Jersey Mike's Arena: 

Jersey Mike's Arena is located at 83 Rockafeller Road in Piscataway, NJ, on the Rutgers-New Brunswick Livingston Campus. Click here for directions.

No special parking tags are needed. Follow directions to Jersey Mike’s Arena on the Rutgers Livingston Campus. As you get close, signs and attendants will direct you to park. You may park in the Green and Yellow Lots behind the arena.

The School of Management and Labor Relations is proud to announce our 2025 Convocation Speaker, Elizabeth Shelley.

Elizabeth Shelley is a leader who values both people and purposeful work at the core of her approach. 

Raised by public school educators and the granddaughter of a union electrician, she developed a strong respect for the dignity of work, the impact of collective action, and the importance of advocating for fairness in the workplace. This foundation led her to study Labor Studies and Employee Relations at Rutgers University and later returned to Rutgers to earn a Master’s in Human Resources Management.  

Elizabeth has built a career at the intersection of HR and healthcare. She has held key roles at leading organizations, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Johnson & Johnson. A passionate advocate for transforming healthcare through people-centered leadership, she delivered a TEDx talk titled “Quest(tions) for Patients,” which explores how asking better questions can lead to improved, personalized patient care. Elizabeth’s work reflects her commitment to curiosity, resilience and joy - values that echo through both her professional and personal mission.

Academic regalia (cap and gown) for the 2025 School of Management and Labor Relations Convocation and the 259th Anniversary Commencement ceremonies is available for purchase. 

Order your regalia here:
https://oakhallcg.com/pages/rutgersnbu  

Important Dates:

• Order online and ship to home address closed on March 28, 2025.
• Regalia will be available at the Barnes & Noble location starting April 2, 2025, while supplies last

Our ceremony will be livestreamed on the school's YouTube channel at this link:

https://youtube.com/live/Ad7BaxEdlfA

After the ceremony, the replay of the ceremony will be available at this same link.

Step 1: Check your graduation date

Please check your graduation date to be sure it accurately reflects your degree completion through Degree Navigator. When you log in, you can see the date at the top right of the page in the box where your name, RUID, and NetID are listed. 

If you need to change your graduation date and are a SMLR student (Bachelor of Science in Labor and Employment Relations), complete this form. If you are a School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) student (Bachelor of Arts, Human Resource Management major or Labor Studies and Employment Relations major), please contact your advisor at SAS Advising and Academic Services.  

Step 2: Apply for your diploma

Don't forget to apply for your diploma as soon as possible for either May 2025 or August 2025. All students must complete this online process to graduate. May graduates have until May 15th to apply for their diploma. August graduates can complete the diploma application between April 15 – August 15. Click here to view all University deadlines for submission. 

Please note: All 2025 Graduates wishing to have their name included in the SMLR Convocation program must have the correct graduation date on their record by April 1 regardless of their graduation month.

Step 3: Clear any financial obligations

To learn more about financial holds and loan exit counseling, visit the Student Accounting, Billing, and Cashier Services website. Students will not receive their diploma until all financial holds are cleared.

Information about honor awards

Departmental Honors 

Bachelor students of the Human Resource Management program, Labor Studies and Employment Relations program, and Labor and Employment Relations program who achieve a 3.70 GPA or higher for coursework within their major will receive an excellence pin and a certificate upon graduation.

Latin Honors

The baccalaureate degree is conferred summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude for students achieving honors in the overall program of study at Rutgers University. All degree honors are determined by final cumulative GPA as listed below and are noted on the diploma and final transcript:

Note: Averages are not rounded to the next higher number in the calculation of honors.

Students earning the Bachelor of Science in Labor and Employment Relations who achieve overall program honors of summa or magna cum laude will receive white cords from the School of Management and Labor Relations. The School of Arts and Sciences awards the honor cords for Bachelor of Arts students majoring in Human Resource Management and/or Labor Studies and Employment Relations.

Step 1: Submit your degree candidacy form

Submit your Degree Candidacy Form as soon as possible for either May 2025 or August 2025. All graduate students must complete this form to graduate. 

• MLER program graduates: Complete and submit the MLER Degree Candidacy Form to Ann Marie Fiorella-Mullen at amf322@smlr.rutgers.edu.  
• MHRM program graduates: Complete and submit the MHRM Degree Candidacy Form to Rebecca Tinkham at tinkham@smlr.rutgers.edu. 
• Online Professional MHRM program graduates: Contact Allison Kushner at allison.kushner@rutgers.edu for the degree candidacy form. 

Step 2: Apply for your diploma

Don't forget to apply for your diploma as soon as possible. All students must complete this online process to graduate.

• SMLR Graduate Student Application Deadline for May 2025 graduates is April 1.
• SMLR Graduate Student Application Deadline for August 2025 graduates is August 15.  

Please note: All 2025 Graduates wishing to have their name included in the SMLR Convocation program must apply for their diploma by April 1 regardless of their graduation month.

Step 3: Clear any financial obligations

To learn more about financial holds and loan exit counseling, visit the Student Accounting, Billing, and Cashier Services website. Students will not receive their diploma until all financial holds are cleared.

Information about Honor Awards

All SMLR master’s degree students achieving a 4.000 GPA within their program receive gold cords to adorn their regalia. Students who believe they are eligible for a cord should check their program records with their individual SMLR student counselor. 

The SMLR Convocation will be held Wednesday, May 21st at 10:00am in Jersey Mike's Arena. During this school-specific ceremony, each individual graduate of the School of Management and Labor Relations will have their name called as they walk across the stage. Watch the video of last year's SMLR Convocation to see an example of our ceremony.
> RSVP here to attend the SMLR convocation ceremony on May 21st

The 259th Anniversary Commencement will be held Sunday, May 18th in SHI Stadium and celebrates all members of the Class of 2025 from Rutgers–New Brunswick and Rutgers Health at one large event. No individual student names are called. Starting this year, tickets for all attendees will be required and limited. As always, parking passes will be required. Details about Commencement can be found here: commencement.rutgers.edu. Please check back as more details will be provided in the coming months.

Undergraduate students in the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) majoring in Human Resource Management or Labor Studies & Employment Relations will be individually recognized at the SMLR convocation ceremony on Wednesday, May 21st, but you are eligible to attend one of the SAS ceremonies as well. You can attend both!