SMLR Class of 2026 Convocation and 260th Anniversary Commencement

Tickets are required for you as the graduate and for each of your guests attending the convocation ceremony on May 20, 2026.

All SMLR graduates will receive one digital ticket for themselves along with 20 additional digital tickets to share with guests. Tickets for guests are general admission seating.

Digital tickets for the SMLR Convocation ceremony are available to download in the graduate's Rutgers Ticket Account.

Click here for information about tickets and a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

Instructions to Claim Your Tickets and Send to Guests

Step 1: Access your tickets. 

Sign in here: https://scarletknights.evenue.net/signin and click 'Sign In as Student'. Enter your Rutgers NetID and password to view your tickets.

Be sure to download your own ticket to your cell phone (ticket will be marked as your ticket as a graduate). Within the Scarlet Knights app on your cell phone, go to My Account, Manage Tickets, and then My Upcoming Events. From there you will be able to see the tickets to add to your digital wallet.

Click here for step-by-step instructions to claim your tickets using your Rutgers NetID.

Step 2: Transfer tickets to your guests.

Click here for instructions on how to transfer tickets to your guests attending the ceremony.

Step 3: Your guests will need to accept their tickets. 

Click here for instructions on how your guests can access and download tickets.

If you are not able to locate your tickets and need assistance, please email Laura Walkoviak at lauraann@smlr.rutgers.edu. 

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. The arena has a clear bag policy. Click here for the policy for allowable bags. 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.
• We anticipate that the ceremony will conclude around 12:00pm.
• After the ceremony, you and your guests are invited to join us for a reception inside the Janice Levin Building, across the street from Jersey Mike's Arena.

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 20, 2026.

> 2026 Student Information Document for SMLR Convocation

Academic regalia (cap and gown) for the 2026 School of Management and Labor Relations Convocation and the 260th Anniversary Commencement ceremonies is available for purchase. 

The deadline for ordering online has passed.

Visit the Barnes & Noble campus bookstore for pick-up or in-store purchases only, while supplies last.

For the SMLR Convocation ceremony on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 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.

Click on the links below to access the SMLR Class of 2026 Invitation 

The School of Management and Labor Relations is proud to announce our 2026 Convocation Speaker, Adam Opitz.

Adam Opitz is an HR and Employee Relations leader. His career has been driven by one conviction: that advocating for people is more powerful than litigating against them. A two-time Rutgers University alumnus, Adam earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the School of Arts and Sciences and his Master of Labor and Employment Relations from the School of Management and Labor Relations.

Growing up with a union-worker father gave Adam a frontline lens that no classroom could replicate. Combined with a background in sales and an early pull toward law, he found his calling not in the courtroom but at the table — where dialogue and resolution create more lasting change. That foundation carried him from corporate investigations at ADP through progressive leadership across the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, spanning the rail and metals distribution industries — and ultimately to Employee Relations Manager at Piedmont Healthcare, Georgia's largest health system.

A former President of the LERA Rutgers University Chapter and former Vice President of the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations Alumni Association, Adam holds certifications in Civil Mediation, Targeted Selection®, and Negotiation & Conflict Resolution through Rutgers' Labor Education Action Research Network (LEARN) — a toolkit built in the same spirit as the career behind it.

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

https://www.youtube.com/live/rQAQBlSD_tU

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

Download the Rutgers Class of 2026 Giphy stickers to share on social media
> Click here to view & download

Tag Rutgers SMLR in your social media posts or use one of our hashtags: #RUSMLR , #RUSMLRGrad , #RUSMLRClassof2026
> Click here to follow us on social media

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 2026 or August 2026. 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 2026 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 2026 or August 2026. All graduate students must complete this form to graduate. 

• MLER (online and In-person) 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 2026 graduates is April 1.
• SMLR Graduate Student Application Deadline for August 2026 graduates is August 15.  

Please note: All 2026 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. 

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 20th, but you are eligible to attend one of the SAS ceremonies as well. You can attend both!

The SMLR Convocation will be held Wednesday, May 20th 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.

The 260th Anniversary Commencement will be held Sunday, May 17th in SHI Stadium and celebrates all members of the Class of 2026 from Rutgers–New Brunswick and Rutgers Health at one large event. No individual student names are called. Tickets for all attendees will be required and are 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.