Dear Faculty, Administrators and Staff,

It’s with great pleasure that I share the 2026 Undergraduate Baccalaureate Commencement ceremony will take place on Monday, May 18, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. at the Prudential Center. It's always such a special day for our community, and I know this year will be no exception.

More information will follow in the coming weeks, including the Undergraduate Commencement Speaker and bus transportation from campus.

I'm looking forward to being part of these celebrations with all of you, as we cheer on the Class of 2026 and watch them take their next steps forward. Thanks, as always, for the incredible support you give to our students.

Students, along with their family and friends, are also invited to:

Mass of Celebration
Sunday, May 17, 2026
10:30 a.m.
Bethany Hall 

President's Reception for the Class of 2026
Sunday, May 17, 2026
12 p.m.
University Green

In addition, the individual College and Schools Graduate Hooding Ceremonies will take place as follows:

Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
2:30 p.m. Mass
4 p.m. Hooding Ceremony
Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Newark, New Jersey)

College of Human Development, Culture, and Media
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
5 p.m.
Walsh Gym

College of Nursing  
Thursday, May 14, 2026
10 a.m. Convocation and Pinning Ceremony
2 p.m. Conferral of Graduate Degrees and Hooding Ceremony
Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Newark, New Jersey)

School of Health and Medical Sciences         
Thursday, May 14, 2026
6 p.m.
Walsh Gym

Stillman School of Business
Friday, May 15, 2026
4 p.m.
Walsh Gym

School of Diplomacy and International Relations
Friday, May 15, 2026
5:30 p.m.
Event Room, University Center

College of Arts and Sciences
Saturday, May 16, 2026
5 p.m. 
Walsh Gym

Law School Commencement Mass
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
4 p.m.
Larson Auditorium

Law School Commencement Ceremony
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
11 a.m.
Prudential Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Additional Ceremonies

Buccino Leadership Institute Certificate Ceremony
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
6 p.m.
Bethany Hall, Room A

ROTC Commissioning Ceremony
Friday, May 22, 2026
9 a.m.
Bethany Hall

Sincerely,
Erik

Seton Hall University’s online graduate programs were recently recognized in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, with strong showings across both education and nursing. The University’s online graduate education programs earned national recognition for their continued upward momentum, while the online Master of Science in Nursing programs were again ranked among the best in the country—and the top program in New Jersey.

Beginning Ash Wednesday, February 18, Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology will continue its Lenten daily meditation tradition: “Welcoming and Embracing the Stranger: Lenten Reflections with the Artwork of James Tissot.” Written by members of the ICSST and Seton Hall communities as a part of the Lilly Endowment Preaching as Hospitality program, the reflections will include the Scripture from daily Mass, shared via email and posted on the Seminary’s website. Sign up today.

Join your fellow Pirates to begin the Holy Season of Lent at our Ash Wednesday Mass.

Everyone in our university community is welcome to join in prayer. Lent is a time of preparing for Easter through prayer, fasting and works of charity. We begin this sacred season by marking ourselves with crosses of ash to remind us of God’s forgiveness and mercy in our lives:

New Exhibit: Ukraine’s People Revealed!

Walsh Gallery presents a new exhibit, Ukraine’s People Revealed! featuring Early Eighteenth Century Paintings of Ukrainian Society.  Join exhibition curator Nathaniel Knight, Ph.D. on Wednesday, February 25 from 5:30-7 p.m. for a reception and gallery talk. The reception will be held at Walsh Library in the 2nd Floor Silent Study Room. Questions? Contact walshgallery@shu.edu.

Jared Best Receives University Research Council Award

Jared Israel Best, Ph.D., assistant professor from the College of Arts and Sciences, received a University Research Council award for the project titled “Experiences of Social Work Faculty Teaching Sex, Sexualities and Sexual Health-Related Content.” The project addresses the persistent gap in required social work curricula, where sex- and sexuality-related content is often limited to electives. It will document the challenges educators face and identify effective strategies for integrating this material into core courses. By strengthening curricular preparation, the work supports future social workers in discussing sexual health confidently in both direct practice and broader community and policy settings.

Using Compass allows faculty to share timely academic feedback, trigger coordinated student support, and address concerns early—when interventions are most effective.

What to do now:

Thank you to those who have already submitted their progress reports, as we have over 1,240 completed in just the short time it has been opened!

⭐ Compass Super User of the Week

Congratulations to the College of Arts & Sciences for leading campus engagement in Compass, submitting over 41% of all completed Academic Progress Reports, followed by the College of Nursing at 16%. Your timely participation plays a critical role in identifying student needs early and connecting students with the support that helps them persist and thrive at Seton Hall University. Thank you for your continued commitment to student success.

Follow the CFD blog for more upcoming events and initiatives. We also welcome your suggestions for workshops and speakers, as well as requests for co-sponsorship of faculty-oriented events.

SHU Meditates
February 12, 12:30 – 1 p.m., in Teams

Faculty Lunch Time Meet-ups
February 18, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Location: Faculty section of the Pirate Dining Room

The Impact of the Cultural Climate on Book Publishing”
February 24, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., in Teams

Diversity Film Series: "The Nickel Boys"
February 26, 5 – 7 p.m., Fahy Hall 129

Diversity Reading Series: The Nickel Boys
February 27, 1 – 2 p.m., in Teams

Faculty Learning Communities:

These are opportunities for engagement as well as personal and professional development; participation can be as time permits.

CFD Podcast: Faculty Matters

Videos

Have you missed a CFD event? If so, you can find recordings here.

Rethink Assessment and Create with Purpose 
February’s faculty technology workshops focus on Rethink Assessment and Create with Purpose, exploring authentic, inclusive assessment strategies in an AI-aware teaching environment, including video- and audio-based assessments and approaches that encourage original thinking. 

Upcoming Workshops:

Move Adobe Express Templates to Projects by February 28 
Adobe is updating how templates are managed in Adobe Express. Templates currently stored in Brands must be moved to Projects by February 28, 2026, or they will no longer be usable. Moving templates improves performance, allows ongoing editing and makes it easier to organize and share content. View step-by-step instructions for moving templates.

Turnitin AI Writing Detection in Canvas 
Turnitin’s AI writing detection helps faculty identify potential use of generative AI in student submissions. Assignments must meet specific requirements for file size, word count, language and file type to generate a report. For consistent results, students should submit assignments in the same file format. Learn more about using Turnitin’s AI writing detection in Canvas.

South Orange and IHS Printer Maintenance: Thursday, February 19 
Scheduled maintenance will take place on Thursday, February 19 at 8 a.m., resulting in a temporary printing outage of up to five minutes for the South Orange and IHS campuses. Printing services will resume automatically once maintenance is complete. View all system status and maintenance updates.

CourseLeaf Catalogue Reminder
Just a reminder that all curriculum changes (including curriculum edits, planners and new programs) must be submitted by March 2, 2026. All course changes (new and existing courses) must be submitted by April 2, 2026 to be included in the 2026–27 catalogue.

Please use the Existing Course Updates Form for approved changes to existing courses and the New Course Submissions Form for fully approved new courses.

Graduate Open House – Saturday, February 21
We are hosting Graduate Open House on Saturday, February 21, 12 – 3 p.m. in Jubilee Hall. This event is a valuable opportunity to showcase the University’s 140+ graduate programs and connect with prospective students seeking to advance their education. Whether you know someone considering graduate studies or are interested in learning more about the event, visit the Graduate Open House page for details.