Parking & Directions to Campus
On commencement day traffic on N.J. Route 124 through Madison, Morristown, and Chatham will be heavy, with 4,000 parents and friends expected for ceremonies. Traffic and parking will be directed by Public Safety officers. Much of the parking is on grass, so rain may make for slow parking and soft, wet footing for spectators. Please have your families plan accordingly.
Please note that no buses will be permitted to enter campus on commencement day.
Handicap Parking & Special Needs Seating Area
There will be limited parking reserved for those needing handicap accessibility. Please inform a Drew public safety of your need for this parking area as you enter campus and they will direct you accordingly. Individuals requiring special needs seating should call 973-408-3103 or write the Housing Conference and Hospitality Office at least five days prior to commencement to ensure proper arrangements. Individuals needing special assistance and one family member should be seated in the special needs seating area. Ushers will be on hand to help those needing assistance and access to the special needs seating area.
Commencement Seating
This year’s Commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. The location – either the open-air rear lawn of Mead Hall or the indoor Simon Forum and Athletic Center – will be announced on our Commencement website on Monday, May 13, per the weather forecast. Please note that every effort will be made to hold the ceremony outdoors. All guests are encouraged to monitor the forecast and to come prepared for the possibility of light drizzle, wind, full sun, and cool or warm temperatures.
The commencement ceremony will be held outdoors on the rear lawn of Mead Hall. While tickets are not required for the outdoor ceremony, seating is reserved for the families and guests of graduates. The seating area opens at 9 a.m. The ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. and is expected to conclude at approximately 1 p.m. Please note, tickets are required if the ceremony is moved indoors. Each candidate for graduation is given seven downpour tickets for the indoor ceremony.
Refreshments
At the conclusion of the commencement ceremony light refreshment will be served. Refreshments will be served outdoors and their table locations will be published in the commencement program. In the event of rain refreshments will be served in the Baldwin Gym for College of Liberal Arts candidates and their guest, in the atrium of Seminary Hall for Theological School Candidates and their guest, and in the rotunda of the Dorothy Young Center for the Arts building for Caspersen School of Graduate Studies candidates and their guest.