William Paterson To Host Both Virtual, In-Person Commencement

WAYNE, NJ — The coronavirus is still impacting commencement ceremonies over a year into the pandemic, but in-person celebrations will be held at William Paterson University.

The Wayne, New Jersey, college announced Wednesday it will host a virtual commencement ceremony for graduates at 9 a.m. on May 14, followed by a series of 11 in-person, outdoor ceremonies from May 17 to May 19.

Outdoor ceremonies will be held on Wightman Field, and all students who completed their degree requirements in January 2021, or are eligible in May and August, are invited to attend. Each ceremony will be approximately one hour, and livestreamed online.

Those ceremonies will be limited to the graduates, who are allowed two quests each. Graduates were assigned to a ceremony based on William Paterson's five colleges, their majors and degree level.

Four ceremonies are scheduled for each day, with start times of 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. They will be held rain or shine, except in the case of severe weather, in which postponed ceremonies will be rescheduled for May 20 or May 21.

Graduates will be seated six feet apart on Wightman Field, with guests seated in the bleachers. All graduates, their guests, and university staff will be required to follow social distancing requirements and wear a face covering. Sanitation stations will be available at entrances to Wightman Field.

Nearly 2,400 doctoral, master’s, and bachelor’s degree candidates will have their degrees conferred during the virtual ceremony by University President Richard J. Helldobler, who will also address the graduates, the college said in a news release.

In addition to Helldobler, other speakers include Michael Seeve, chair of the William Paterson University Board of Trustees; Domenico DiMaio, president of the William Paterson University Alumni Association; Joshua Powers, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, and students Paola N. Ruiz, who will receive a bachelor’s degree in communication, and John Penola ‘07, who will receive a master of fine arts degree in creative and professional writing.

Stephen Bolyai, senior vice president for administration and finance, who is retiring after more than 33 years at the University, will receive the President’s Medallion for his outstanding service to the institution, the college said.

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