Graduation Day

Registration

The first thing you will need to do when arriving on campus on the day of your ceremony is register.

Graduands attending their ceremony must register on the day and be assigned a seat number.

Registration will take place in the Ingrid Moses Courtyard, outside Dixson Library, where our staff will confirm your attendance, and hand you an order of proceedings.

Morning ceremonies registration is open from 8:00 am to 9:45 am.

Afternoon ceremonies registration is open from 1:00 pm to 2:15pm.

Graduands must not leave the campus once they have registered – not even to go home or back to their hotel to change.

Dress code

Academic dress must be worn by every graduand, and can be ordered through your Graduation Portal.

The Graduation Ceremony is a formal event. Men should wear long sleeves and tie, trousers and shoes. The tie will assist in securing the graduation hood. A jacket is optional according to your preferences and the weather. Women should wear appropriate day wear sufficient to allow the hood to be secured comfortably around the neck, and to avoid clothing 'riding up' due to the weight of the hood hanging behind you. As the ceremony is outdoors and on the lawns, thin heels are not advised.

Guests

You can bring as many guests as you would like to the ceremony as it is held outdoors on Booloominbah lawns. Guest seating is not reserved.

In the event of adverse weather the ceremony will be held in Lazenby Hall, as such there will be limited seating. If there is not enough space for your guests in the main hall, we have an overflow venue where your guests will be able to see the ceremony streamed live.

Guests must remain in the guest seating area, and are not permitted to be in the area reserved for graduating students, official UNE photographers, graduation staff, and/or other official guests.

Accessibility Requirements

Disabled and elderly guests may be dropped off (and collected) at a pre-arranged location. Safety & Security personnel will be available to assist these guests.

As a graduand, to arrange for your disabled or elderly guests to have access to this drop off service, please provide these details in the Graduation Services Portal so that we can arrange to provide your name (i.e. the graduand's name) to Safety & Security personnel. Your guests will just need to mention your name to personnel and they will be allowed to drive up closer to Booloominbah lawns. Please note that this is a drop off point only and that parking is not permitted at this location.

Parking

All UNE Parking locations on the Academic Campus will be available for Graduation days to allow for the higher volume of vehicles, and shuttle buses will operate from specific event carpark areas to Booloominbah, where the ceremonies are held.

Shuttle buses will make regular rounds to all event carparks, dropping off at Booloominbah with only a short walk to the Gown Hire and Registration venue at the central courtyard. Following the ceremony, shuttle buses will run to return guests to the event parking locations.

Additionally, there is no requirement to pay for parking in the event carparks on graduation days. For general information about parking, please visit the Campus Information parking webpage.

Accessibility Requirements

If you require any accessibility supports to participate in your ceremony, we will be able to accommodate your needs.

Please provide details of what you require in the Graduation Services Portal so that we can make the appropriate arrangements for you.

The Ceremony

The morning ceremony begins at 10:30 am sharp and, for this to occur, we ask that all graduands be seated by 10:15 am at the latest in their assigned seat number.

The afternoon ceremony begins at 3:00 pm sharp and, for this to occur, we ask that all graduands be seated by 2:45 pm at the latest in their assigned seat number.

Those graduating must remain seated for the duration of the Ceremony. The Ceremony lasts approximately two hours and, as it is held outside, graduands and their guests are advised to bring sunscreen and a drink.

Order of Proceedings:

  • After the Chancellor has opened the proceedings, the Chancellor will ask the Vice-Chancellor to present any candidates for the award of degrees honoris causa. The Occasional Address will then be delivered. There will be a five-minute musical interlude.
  • After the musical interlude, the Chair of the Academic Board rises and says to the Chancellor, the graduands now standing: "Chancellor, I submit to you a list of candidates, as listed in the programme, who have completed all requirements and are entitled to be admitted to their respective academic degrees and awards."
  • The Chancellor responds, and the graduands remain standing: "In the name of the Council and by my authority as Chancellor I admit these candidates to their respective degrees and awards."
  • The graduates are now asked to be seated.
  • The Chair of the Academic Board then reads out the attributes of the New England Award and acknowledges those present who are receiving the award.
  • The Chair of the Academic Board then reads out the attributes of the Vice-Chancellor's Scholar Award and acknowledges those present who are receiving the award.
  • Awards are then presented to the candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, the candidates for the Masters Degrees, Graduate Diplomas, Graduate Certificates, Bachelor degrees, and Diplomas/Certificates. All graduands should acknowledge the Chancellor on presentation, by doffing their caps. Only the names of the graduands in attendance are called out at the ceremony.
  • At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Esquire Bedell will lead the Chancellor and the academic procession from the dais. Graduates are asked to stand as the procession leaves, joining in the procession to follow the academics.
Indigenous Sashing Ceremony

Oorala holds a Sashing Ceremony on each Graduation Day. The Ceremony is to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ academic achievements alongside other Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students and their families and is held in the Oorala Lecture Theatre prior to the Graduation Ceremony.

All graduating Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students are welcome to attend this special event where they will be personally presented with their Indigenous Sash by the UNE Executive. The Sash can be worn as part of the official Graduation Ceremony formal wear.  Oorala Staff will be on hand to assist you in gowning up and to direct you on where you need to be on the day.

To find out more and register your interest visit the Oorala Graduation page.

Adverse weather

In the event of adverse weather, the ceremony will be relocated to Lazenby Hall. This decision will occur on the morning of the ceremony and will be announced on the Student Support Team's blog, the Insiders' Guide.

REGISTRATION

In the case of adverse weather, registration will still occur in the Ingrid Moses Courtyard, outside Dixson Library. If you require directions please feel free to ask one of our friendly staff on the day.

Transport on campus

Free shuttle buses will be in operation on the day to transport graduands and their guests from the various event carparks located at the Academic Campus to drop off at Booloominbah where the ceremonies are held. From this location it is only a short walk to the Gown Hire and Registration venues located in the central courtyard area.

A shuttle bus will also operate to accommodate graduands and guests with special needs, it will pick up from the event parking area designated as ‘Mobility Parking’ and also drop off to the ceremony grounds at Booloominbah.

Following the ceremony, shuttle buses will run to return guests to the event parking locations.