Lehman College - Class of 2023

Congratulations to the Lehman Class of 2023!

We’re pleased to announce that Lehman College’s 2023 Commencement ceremony will be held in person on campus on Thursday, June 1, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.

We look forward to celebrating the hard work of the Class of ’23 this spring! If your Degree was awarded in Fall '22, Winter '23, Spring '23 or Summer '23, you are eligible to participate in the June 1st ceremony.

Please continue to visit this site, as more information will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient

We are pleased to announce that Joseph ‘DJ Grandmaster Flash’ Saddler and The Honorable José Rivera are the two honorary degree recipients at your Spring 2023 Commencement Ceremony.

As the founder of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Saddler is a hip-hop pioneer responsible for foundational tracks like 'The Message' and 'The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel.' He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

Over a 40 year career, José Rivera served The Bronx and beyond in the New York State Assembly and New York City Council, fighting for issues including a higher minimum wage, improved green space, and clean water; while also supporting key projects at Lehman including the APEX sports center, the Performing Arts Center, and the Lehman College Art Gallery.

Attend the Ceremony | Guests of Graduates | Order Caps and Gowns | File for Graduation | Yearbook Information

Commencement Webinar for Graduates

In this video, we'll provide graduating students with a comprehensive overview of all the important logistics and guidelines to ensure a smooth and memorable experience. From arrival times to proper lining-up techniques, we'll cover every aspect of the event, leaving no questions unanswered.

Be prepared to learn about the commencement program and get a sneak peek into what you can expect on the big day. Don't miss out on this valuable opportunity to be fully informed and ready for your graduation.

Commencement Program

View or download the program . (PDF)

The Class of 2023 Yearbook

View or download the Class of 2023 Yearbook. (PDF)

Time and Place

CUNY has ended the Emergency COVID mandate as of May 23, 2023 and so all Graduates do not have to swipe, their ID”s to gain access to campus for the Graduation event. All Graduates will enter the campus through Gate 6, Science Hall Parking Lot Trailer, Goulden Avenue. As Goulden Ave will be heavily congested the morning of Commencement, we ask Graduates to be dropped off at the corner of Bedford Park Blvd and then walk to the gate.

Your Academic Regalia (Cap and Gown) is your ticket to enter campus. Paper/online tickets are not required for entry on campus.

All Graduation Candidates are expected to arrive in academic regalia. Graduating students must report for robing to the Auxiliary gym in the APEX, as early as 7:30 am but no later than 8:15 a.m. Staff members will assist you. Do not bring coats, purses, or other personal belongings with you to the APEX. There will be no attendant present in the APEX to guard your personal property during the ceremony.

Mask up. While not required, we ask graduates to take note that they will be inside a large space with other graduates throughout the lining-up process. Take any precautions that are necessary to participate.

LENGTH OF CEREMONY:
The ceremony is expected to be about two (2) hours long. It is recommended that you and your guests wear comfortable clothing and shoes and that you eat a meal prior to arrival.

The Ceremony
Instructions about the line of march will be provided to graduates when you assemble at starting at 7:30 am in the APEX. There is no pre-commencement rehearsal.

Graduates will be grouped by School, and then, academic department and march behind their department banners. The graduates will proceed from the APEX to the South Field, led by Faculty Marshals.
The Marshals will lead the lines to the South Field and down the aisles to the graduates’ sections. Marshals then will direct the graduates to their seats, row by row. Graduates will remain standing throughout the faculty processional and the national anthem, which begins the ceremony.
The candidates for degrees will be presented to the president. After the president confers degrees for all candidates, you should change your tassel from the right to the left side of your mortarboard (cap).
When the ceremony ends, the Grand Marshal will lead the honored guests and faculty members from the stage and down the aisles to exit. Graduates must remain seated until the platform party and faculty leave the field.
Since the campus is large and many people will be on the grounds, graduates should decide in advance where they will meet their guests after the ceremony.
After the Ceremony, there will be an After Commencement Celebration in the Quad. Please use this space to gather with your family and friends after the event.

Confirm your participation in graduation via Marching OrderSystem and Claim Guest Tickets (REQUIRED)

On April 21st all graduating students will receive an e-mail and web link that will allow you to confirm your participation in the graduation ceremony. It is critical that you respond to this e-mail to ensure that appropriate seating arrangements are made for graduates. (reminder -tickets for guests are required).

Please see a quick instructional site on how to claim your tickets. How to confirm your event attendance and claim guest tickets

Upload your photo and personal message via Marching Order (OPTIONAL)

Marching Order is a software system that will allow students to participate in the ceremony to upload a personal photo and create a special message to share with family and friends on this special occasion. Each photo and message will be displayed on large screens prior to and throughout commencement day. All students who filed for graduation on CUNYFirst will be sent registration instructions to your Lehman e-mail address.

Photo Guidelines

Photo types are limited to .jpg, .png. Maximum file size is 5MB.

All student submissions will be reviewed and any content that is considered obscene, threatening, abusive, or illegal will result in their slide being removed from the program. We may also remove slides containing unrelated business solicitations or other commercial advertising.

Below is a list of content will result in the removal of your slide in commencement events:

Obscene, lewd, explicit, discriminatory, derogatory, violent, offensive, infringing, or otherwise inappropriate content
Commercial advertisements including sponsor names, logos, slogans, websites and phone numbers
Social media handles and hashtags
Offensive or negative references to any other college
Names, images or likeness of any other student or person
Obscene or offensive language
Photos cannot be used to promote other college
Statements or endorsements of political candidates
Third party logos/branding

Claim Guest Tickets (REQUIRED)

You will also be able to claim up to 5 guest tickets per graduate. There will be an initial ticket offering that will occur from April 21st until May 5th. During this time, you will log into the Marching order system and claim your tickets. Based on the tickets claimed, there may be an additional Ticketing window occurring From May 8th through May 19th for additional tickets.

College Portraits

Make an appointment to take your college portraits.

To make an appointment click on the picture or the link here.

General Information for Guests

All Campus guests (Non-Graduating students) DO NOT need to produce proof of COVID-19 vaccination to attend the commencement ceremony but must produce a ticket
Students will be allowed to invite 5 guests only to attend the ceremony through a ticketing process. Any kids that do not take up a seat, or will be held by their parent or guardian do not need a ticket.
A limited amount of free parking spaces will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis in the North Reservoir Parking Lot. A list of off-campus parking garages will be sent in a commencement update email. Please consider taking public transportation to campus.
Guests will be allowed to enter the campus any time after 7:30 a.m. through several campus gates.
Guests should be in their seats before the academic procession starts and are asked not to block the line of march or obstruct the view of other audience members.
At the end of the ceremony, guests should stand during the Alma Mater and Recessional and remain in place until the graduates’ line has left the South Field area.

Parking

A limited amount of parking space will be available in the North Reservoir Parking Lot. Please consider taking public transportation to campus.

Drop off spot for Taxi, Uber, Lyft service is Gate 7 in front of the APEX on 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx NY

Independent Parking Garages

The following independent parking garages are located in the area. Lehman College does not endorse, nor are we affiliated with any independent parking garage.

DR Parking 2990 Jerome Ave Bronx, NY 10467
J&S Parking Lot 2801 Jerome Ave Bronx, NY 10468
Kingsbridge Parking 2686 Jerome Ave Bronx, NY 10468
Zoom Parking Corp 3130 Grand Concourse Bronx, NY 10458
Botanical Garden Parking Garage 401 Bedford Park Boulevard, Bronx NY 10458
2 J’s Parking Lot 2776 Webster Avenue Bronx, NY 10458
G & R Parking Services 1 Fordham Plaza Bronx, NY 10458
J & A Parking 374 East 184th Street Bronx, NY 10458
P. Tiebout Parking 2468 Tiebout Avenue Bronx, NY 10458
Car Park Systems 221 E 204th St, Bronx, NY 10458

On-campus viewing spaces

On commencement day, individuals coming to campus who would prefer to see the ceremony from an indoor location live streamed on a screen can go to:

Carman Hall Room - B04
Carman Hall Room - CA-B08
Carman Hall Room - CA-B39
Carman Hall Room - CA-B36
Lovinger Theatre – Music Building

Special Accommodations

Lehman College is committed to making its programs and facilities accessible to students and their guests. If you have questions, need assistance, or an accommodation because of disability, please email the Office of Student Disability Services at disability.services@lehman.cuny.edu or call us at (718) 960-8441 by Monday, May 8th, 2023.

The College wants to make this a memorable graduation day for you. Commencement is both a solemn and joyous occasion. We urge your cooperation in maintaining the dignity of the academic procession and the commencement ceremony. If you have any questions about the ceremony, please see Margaret Registe or Jazzy Mahone in Room 204, Shuster Hall, or call (718) 960-8242.

Prior to the Ceremony

Order Caps & Gowns

Participants in the Commencement Ceremony must wear appropriate academic attire. To preorder your cap and gown for Commencement 2023, Please go to collegegrad.herffjones.com

In the text field, search for “Lehman College.” The results will pop up as bolded black text, The site is active, and you will be able to order caps and gowns for the 2023 ceremony currently. You will receive your cap and gown order mailed home 22 business days after the order.

You will need to pay for all items online directly from the Hereff Jones website, and pickup will be at the campus bookstore starting May 1st, 2023. The last day to order your Graduation regalia online is Tuesday, April 25^th, 2023.

Caps & Gowns will be available for purchase at the bookstore beginning April 22nd for students who missed the deadline.

Please contact the Bookstore at 718-960-8144 or through email: 1270mgr@follett.com if you need additional information about Caps and Gowns.

The ceremony can be seen by those that cannot attend via the Lehman Website.

On commencement day, go to Lehman Website for access to the live stream broadcast.

Filing for Graduation

Eligible students will be sent an email invitation via their lc.cuny.edu email with instructions on How to Apply and How to View Application Status.

A student who expects to graduate at the end of a semester must file an application for graduation by the deadline which is posted on the corresponding Academic Calendar. Prior to applying for graduation, kindly visit an Academic and Department Advisor to ensure all requirements have been met. Any student who does not meet the requirements to graduate must cancel their graduation. Students may re-file in any subsequent semester in which graduation is anticipated.

Graduation Requirements

In order to qualify for graduation, students must satisfy the following requirements:

Bachelor's Degree

(120) cumulative credits
(30) credits in “Overall Residency”
At least ½ the number of credits in the declared major for “Major Residency”
All “General Education” requirements completed
All “Major” requirements completed
(2.0) GPA in declared Major
(2.0) GPA in overall credits completed

Master's Degree

At least (30) cumulative credits
At least ½ total graduate credits OR (18) credits in “Residency” (whichever is greater)
All “Major” requirements completed
(3.0) GPA in declared Major
(3.0) GPA in overall credits completed

Incomplete (INC) grades must be resolved prior to the date of graduation. Click Here for more information on the policy for INC grades.

Dual Majors and Dual Degrees: As students approach graduation you will have two (2) Diploma Options based on the number of credits attained:

One Diploma: Students who have completed requirements for two (2) majors from different degree types (i.e.- BA and BS) but have not reached at least (150 credits) cumulatively will only be awarded one (1) diploma with one degree type and major. The second major will appear as a comment on your Official Transcript.

Two Diplomas: Students who have completed requirements for two (2) majors from different degree types (i.e.- BA and BS) must complete an additional (30 credits) in residence beyond the required (120 credits) for a total of (150 credits) in order to be awarded two (2) Diplomas.

Class of 2023 College Yearbook!

Send us your portrait picture to be featured in the next Lehman College Yearbook! Pictures can be selfies or professional photographs. Please use professional attire. You will also get the chance to thank those who helped you along the way. Fill this FORM by Sunday, April 30, 2023 to be included in this publication.

For more information, contact the Office of Campus Life at campus.life@lehman.cuny.edu