Attending graduation ceremony

Information for those attending a graduation ceremony

Communication

Prior to graduation

If you are experiencing any difficulty accessing your student email, you can manage your access on the password change website. 

While waiting for your graduation ceremony invitation, log into your eStudent and follow these steps, to ensure your contact details are correct.

1. Click on "My Details"
2. Click on "Contacts" located in the menu on the left
3. Update or add any information such as addresses, emails or phone numbers

RSVP for graduation

In order to participate in your graduation ceremony, you will need to respond to the graduation ceremony invitation (which is different from your Completion Letter and Conferring of degree email).  Your graduation ceremony invitation will be sent approximately 6 to 8 weeks prior to the commencement of the relevant graduation series to your student email address.

The Graduation Fee is compulsory and confirms your attendance for your ceremony. Please refer to your graduation invitation for RSVP cut-off dates.

An attendance checklist will be sent via email 2 weeks before the start of the graduation series with important information about what to do on the day of your ceremony.

Graduates who do not attend their allocated graduation OR have not responded to the invitation are considered to have declined to attend and will not be invited to any subsequent ceremony. Your documents will be held by the Graduations Team until you nominate how you would like to receive your documents.

On the day

Arrival and parking

• You will need to print the Parking Permit sent to your student email two weeks before your ceremony (email will be titled Graduation attendance checklist). The parking permit should be displayed on the vehicle dashboard and you may print this permit multiple times for multiple vehicles. The best place to park is Car Park West 5 (behind the gymnasium) as a graduation shuttle bus service will operate every 15 minutes during graduation to escort guests to and from the Graduation Hall

Registration

• The registration room at 1CC opens 90 minutes before your ceremony where you will be able to collect all seating tickets and receive your academic dress fitting. Below are the start times for each ceremony:
  • 10:30am ceremony
  • 2:30pm ceremony
  • 5:30pm ceremony

Note: Graduates who arrive after the ceremony has commenced, will not be permitted into the Graduation Hall and will forfeit their ceremony.

• Ceremonies run for approximately 90 minutes
• Portrait photography services, plaques and memorabilia items will be available outside of the Graduation Hall

Academic dress and attire

Your Graduation Fee includes the full academic dress and all graduands are required to be in full academic dress to take part in the graduation proceedings. As academic gowns are open at the front, clothing worn underneath will be clearly visible. Suggested attire includes:

• Business or semi-formal attire
• Comfortable shoes

Please note: the graduation venue has tiled areas as well as a number of ramps or steps onto the stage to negotiate - we recommend you take this into account when selecting your footwear for the day.

Seating

• Graduates are strongly advised to be seated 30 minutes before the ceremony start time to ensure you don’t miss the final ceremony instructions
• Graduands are not permitted to bring personal belongings into the Graduation Hall eg mobile phones, cameras, bags, flowers, non-essential graduation paraphernalia etc. Seating space is limited and graduates will change seats throughout the presentation. These items can be placed in the Cloak Room, which is adjacent to the Graduation Hall
• General admission for guests is provided in the Graduation Hall
• Only bottled water is permitted in the Graduation Hall. Prams and strollers, tripods and other items which may obstruct passageways or viewing/comfort of other guests are not permitted in the hall but they may be stored in the Cloak Room
• We are unable to accept responsibility for items left in the Cloak Room

Order of proceedings

1. Your graduation ceremony will commence with the entry of the academic procession into the Graduation Hall lead by the Registrar carrying the Ceremonial Staff. The Presiding Officer for your ceremony is the last member of the procession to enter the Graduation Hall. The Presiding Officer is preceded by the Mace Bearer who carries the University Mace – the symbol of his or her authority.
2. When the members of the academic procession have taken their places on the dais, the musical group will play Advance Australia Fair. Trenchers are removed for the National Anthem. It is not compulsory for female graduands to remove their trencher. At the conclusion of the National Anthem, the audience resume their seats and the ceremony will be formally opened with a brief welcome.
3. The Presiding Officer will open the proceedings.
4. The Registrar will ask all graduands to stand and testify that the Academic Senate of the University has certified that you have completed the requirements for the award of your degree or your diploma. The Presiding Officer will then, by the authority conferred on them by the Council of the University, admit you to the degree or diploma for which you have qualified. At this point, you become a graduate.
5. Each row of graduates is guided by graduation staff around to the northern end of the dais, where your graduation documents will be given to you in a presentation folder, which will be part of your presentation photograph with the Presiding Officer.
6. Each graduate is presented individually to the Presiding Officer, in the order set out in the printed graduation program, by the Executive Dean of their Faculty (or their nominee). The Presiding Officer will pose for a photograph with each graduate at this point.
7. After the photograph, do not go down the steps at the centre of the stage, proceed across the dais and exit via the ramp at the back of the dais before returning to the graduate seating area.
8. At the end of the presentation of the graduates, there is a graduate address followed by a brief musical interlude.
9. The Presiding Officer will speak briefly before closing the proceedings.
10. The Presiding Officer will lead the academic procession from the dais. The Registrar will be the last member of the academic procession to leave the dais, which will then be followed by graduates joining the academic procession.

Personal belongings

Other than bottled water, food and drink is not permitted inside the hall. Most personal belongings must be left in our Cloak Room, which includes large luggage items, prams and strollers, flowers etc. Handbags and backpacks must not exceed 400mm x 320mm x 100mm.

We are unable to accept responsibility for items left in the Cloak Room.

Graduands should note that the academic gowns do not have pockets, so do not bring loose items (including mobile phones) unless these can be placed in clothing underneath.

Live streaming

View the live streaming of the ceremony.

Refreshments

Graduates and their guests are invited to enjoy light refreshments after the graduation ceremony.

Special requirements

We endeavour to accommodate any special requirements for the ceremony such as accessibility, or other types of pre-arrangement that may be required.

The graduation hall currently has the following features:

• Fully wheelchair accessible
• Shuttle bus service that runs from West 5 Car Park to the Graduation Hall
• Additional golf buggy service available for additional transport support
• Ramps and railings available for graduates to access the stage (no stairs required)

Contact the Graduations Team via an AskMQ enquiry to discuss any additional requirements that you or your guest may have.

Casual accommodation

For casual accommodation situated on campus, visit the Dunmore Lang College website or email them at events@dlc.nsw.edu.au or call +61 (2) 9856 1000.

Visas for you and your guests

You must check with the Department of Home Affairs for the latest information.

We suggest that you submit a copy of the Graduation Ceremony invitation (sent to your student email) with your application.

For your guests, also include a personal letter written by you to invite your family/guests to attend your graduation, along with your Graduation Ceremony invitation. The personal letter should specify the ceremony date and time, full names of your family members/guests, and their passport numbers.

All photocopied documents should be certified by a Justice of the Peace (JP).

No longer attending

If you can no longer attend your allocated graduation ceremony due to extenuating circumstances, you may be eligible for a refund of the Graduation Fee.

Graduation Fee refunds will be granted if you have experienced personal, medical, professional or academic circumstances beyond your control and are able to provide evidence* of this.

Examples for each circumstance are outlined below**:

*Where specific evidence cannot be provided, a Statutory Declaration must be submitted and signed by an authorised witness

**Requests are assessed on a case by case basis. If you have circumstances outside of these parameters, you may still apply and the Graduations Team will let you know the outcome

Submit all requests via AskMQ as soon as your circumstances become known to you. Please note all requests and evidence need to be submitted within 2 weeks after your series has ended.