FAQ: Faculty and Administrators

Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, New York City. You can find a map and get personalized directions to the venue on the Central Park website.

There are six separate ceremonies scheduled over two days: May 19 and 20, 2026.  Find the full list of commencement ceremony dates and times by school and major online.

Each ceremony is approximately 90 minutes long.

Faculty and administrators must RSVP to attend one or more of the undergraduate ceremonies. You are able to choose if you prefer to sit onstage as a member of the platform party or within the faculty section of the audience. The reservation form will open on April 10.

Once the form is opened, all faculty and administrators must reserve a seat by May 1 or risk not being accommodated.

Yes. You will need to let us know in advance whether you plan to attend as a member of the platform party (wearing regalia) or as an audience member by filling out the faculty/administrator RSVP form for the undergraduate ceremonies. The reservation form will open on April 10.

Once the form is opened, all faculty and administrators must reserve a seat by April 30 or risk not being accommodated.

Yes! You are invited to attend the ceremony for your program and are encouraged to support your colleagues and the graduating students at all the other ceremonies. Both days’ schedules are identical.

You must indicate on the reservation form which ceremony(ies) you plan to attend and reserve seating on the stage or faculty seating with the audience.

Seating (both onstage and in the audience) is limited, therefore invitations are reserved for faculty and administrators only. 

No. Public transportation is encouraged and readily available.

Academic regalia (cap and gown) is required attire for all who plan to participate in the procession and sit on stage. 

Rumsey Playfield is a large, grassy lawn and the ground may be uneven in many places. Commencement also often involves a good deal of standing and walking for faculty, guests, and graduates. For this reason, we strongly recommend wearing comfortable shoes and discourage high heels. 

To rent your regalia, use the Herff Jones' faculty regalia rental website, facultydirect.herffjones.com:

• Select the Fashion Institute of Technology, then your preferred method to receive your regalia. It may be picked up at the FIT Campus Store in May for no extra charge, or your may have it delivered to your home for an extra shipping fee ($18.10 through March 31; $26.65 after March 31). Home orders will receive a return shipping label for no additional charge.
• Then choose your terminal degree and click "shop."
• On the following screen, be sure to choose the "Cap & Gown" tab in the middle of the page. This will take you to the full rental form. 

To purchase your regalia, visit Herff Jones' site for purchase orders: academicregalia.herffjones.com.

• Enter state and city of your alma mater and select it from the drop-down menu.
• Your school will now appear near the top of the site. Just below that, choose "Standard Regalia" from the tab options.
• From there, select the gown that corresponds with your terminal degree.
• Please take note of Herff Jones' production and shipping deadlines notes on their website. 

If orders are not received by April 27, the FIT Campus Store may not have sufficient generic regalia on hand to meet the demand. Remember, academic regalia (cap and gown) is required attire for all who plan to participate in the procession and sit on stage.

We recommend you use the park entrance at 69th Street and Fifth Avenue; the path at this entrance leads directly to Rumsey Playfield. It's approximately a four-minute walk to the gate.

The nearest subway stations are 68th St/Hunter College on the 6 train on the east side; 72nd Street on the B and C trains on the west side. (Note: There are no elevators at either station.)

The closest bus routes are the M1, M2, M3, M4, M66, and M72.

Platform party members will be sent specific details closer to the date of the event.

You can also find a map and get personalized directions to the venue on the Central Park website.

Each faculty member that requires assistance should email Jacqueline Espaillat-Guerrero by May 7 to be added to the accommodations list and to expedite the entrance process.

There will be two golf carts to transport persons who require assistance from the ADA/VIP entrance at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street directly to the backstage entrance area. The stage has a ramp that can readily accommodate a wheelchair or walker.

Commencement events are held rain or shine. Cancellations will only occur if conditions are dangerous—lightning, high winds or flooding, for example. In the event of a cancellation, we will inform you via the commencement website (fitnyc.edu/commencement) and through FIT Gmail.

Before and after each ceremony there will be a brief time available for you to visit with your students and their guests as they partake in refreshments, take family portraits, pick up gifts, and purchase memorabilia and other mementos in the Celebration in the Park tents.

No. Smoking and vaping of any kind is not allowed at Rumsey Playfield and throughout Central Park under the city’s Smoke-Free Air Act. Also, commencement is a college activity and is covered under FIT’s Tobacco Free Policy, which prohibits smoking.

Yes! You will be able to tune in live on the commencement website, fitnyc.edu/commencement. The video from each ceremony will also be available on demand after they are completed.