Pre-Commencement Celebrations

Principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are central to our mission as a Jesuit institution and connect us to a long Catholic tradition of advocating for the dignity and worth of every person.

In the spirit of cura personalis, care for the whole person, the Office of Multicultural Affairs is pleased to announce our 5th annual Pre-Commencement Celebrations. These events are co-sponsored by the Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Opportunity and the Office of the President. We invite the Fordham community to join us in celebrating and honoring graduating seniors from a range of diverse communities as we acknowledge their accomplishments and contributions to Fordham University.

  • APIDA Student Celebration | Thursday, May 1, 2025 | 5pm | Lincoln Center | McNally Amphitheater
  • Black Student Celebration | Friday, May 2, 2025 | 5pm | Rose Hill | McShane Center Great Hall 
  • Lavender Celebration | Sunday May 4, 2025 | 12:30pm | Lincoln Center | 12th Floor Lounge
  • Latine Student Celebration | Monday, May 5, 2025 | 5pm | Rose Hill | McShane Center Great Hall
  • MENA Student Celebration | Friday, May 9, 2025 | 5pm | Rose Hill | Faber Hall Bepler Commons
  • Doors open 15 minutes prior to listed times for check in and seating.

Carefully Review ALL of the Following Steps and Information to Ensure You have fully RSVP'd, secured your ticket, and are Ready to Celebrate with Us:

  • Family, friends, and other supporters of our graduating seniors are welcomed to join our zoom link at the start times for each event listed above! Link will be provided here as we get closer to the events.

  • Graduating Seniors must go to this official RSVP form to confirm attendance to any of the events that correspond with their identities. Only one submission to the form is required.

    • Please note: While this event is given priority to undergraduate graduating seniors, OMA will provide email communication for opportunities for graduating graduate students to attend and potentially receive a stole.
    • All graduating and participating undergraduate seniors must fill out this form to secure a certificate and stole (first come first serve - stoles are limited). 
    • Deadline to RSVP is April 22nd
    • Following this deadline, we may open registration for all graduating students beyond FCRH, FCLC, and Undergraduate Gabelli to RSVP by April 25th.

  • All tickets must be secured through the University Tickets website.

    • Seniors: The last day to secure tickets will be April 25th
    • Guests (Members of the Fordham Community): The last day to secure tickets will be noon of each event.

    For Graduating Seniors:

    After RSVPing using the google form in Step 1, Graduating Seniors must go to University Tickets to secure ONE ticket for the event of their choosing that aligns with their identity. If seniors hold multiples identities (ex: Black and LGBTQ), they can secure tickets for each separate event.

    • Please note: Securing a "Graduating Senior Ticket" means you are RSVPing to attend and be recognized, receive a stole, and receive any other keepsakes during the event.
    • Any graduating seniors who do not get their tickets by April 26th may have opportunities to attend the event, however, there will not be a guarantee to receive a stole or certificate.

    For Event Guests:

    This option is available for Fordham faculty, staff, and students that want to support Fordham's graduating seniors.

    • Please note: This ticket is to solely observe the ceremony and celebrate seniors a part of this identity.
    • If you are a graduating student of this identity and are also part of a different Fordham college outside of Rose Hill, Lincoln Center, and Gabelli, there may be some opportunities to receive a stole that will be communicated at a later date.

  • After RSVPing and securing tickets, please fill out the following form by April 27th:

    • Senior Award Nomination Form
    • In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the office is introducing the Sister Francesca Thompson Diversity and Belonging Award. This prestigious award will recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions to fostering diversity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging within our community, continuing Sister Francesca's legacy of advocacy and service. Nominations for this award will be collected in the form linked.

    This information helps our committees make each event memorable for all attendees!

  • For each event, stoles will be presented to graduating seniors who have RSVP'd and secured a ticket. Please note that stoles are limited per event.

    If you are unable to attend and have completely RSVP'd using the steps above, you will have from May 6th to May 8th to pick up your stole at the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

    • Rose Hill Office: McShane Campus Center, Suite 283 (Behind the Office of Student Involvement/Around the corner from IT)
    • Lincoln Center Office: 140 West Building, Room G41
    • Failure in picking up your stole during this time period will lose your reservation of the stole.
    • From May 12th to May 16th, any remaining stoles will be available for any graduating student on a first come first serve basis to our office locations.

  • Since each of our celebrations are happening at either the Rose Hill or Lincoln Center campus, we want to provide Ram Van passes to Graduating Seniors who will be commuting to their opposite campus in order to attend.

    We will receive your request for ram van passes in the RSVP form so please visit Step 1 on this webpage to fill out the form.

    • If there are any concerns or questions regarding your transportation, please email [email protected] and a team member will follow up with you.
    • Please note: Ram Van passes will be sent 1-2 days in advance from your event.