What You Need To Know On The Day
Getting to the ceremony
Please arrive at the venue at least one and a quarter hours before your ceremony is due to begin. This will give you enough time to collect your tickets and gown, and have photographs taken.
There are public car parks in the vicinity of the venues. Regrettably, there is no on-site parking. Please do not underestimate the traffic in the Greenwich and Rochester areas, and allow ample time for travelling and finding a parking space.
More information can be found in ceremony locations.
Once you arrive
On arrival, you should make your way to the university’s Tickets and Enquiries Desk where you collect both your guest and your own seat tickets. You will then be directed to collect your gown and to the official photographers.
To ensure the smooth running of the ceremonies, it will be necessary to section off areas for ceremony-related activities, in order to assist us to manage the flow of large numbers of people throughout the day. These areas will be clearly defined, and it will only be by everyone observing these areas that the day will be a success!
Please be seated 20 minutes before your ceremony is due to commence. This also applies to your guests. At both venues it takes a considerable amount of time to seat graduates and guests, so please adhere to instructions from stewards. Arrangements will be made to seat guests with mobility problems before the congregation is allowed to enter the Chapel/Cathedral.
Guests will be seated separately from the graduates in the nave, transepts or upstairs in the gallery.
The use of cameras and camcorders is permitted during the ceremonies, but out of consideration to others, guests MUST remain seated at all times.
Frequently asked questions for this section
What happens at the ceremony?
The ceremony will start promptly at the allotted time. Before commencement, the Master of Ceremonies will make a number of important housekeeping announcements. The ceremony starts with the entry of the Academic, Civic and Chancellor’s/Pro Chancellor’s/Vice-Chancellor’s Processions.
The ceremony commences with a short welcome speech followed by an address by the President of the Students’ Union. The main ceremony address follows.
Each seat is numbered. It is essential that you sit in the seat that corresponds with your numbered graduate ticket.
After the speeches, the Head of School or a representative will be called to present the graduates. At the same time, members of the Awards Ceremonies Team will guide the first graduates up to be presented, checking names and their order en route.
When the Head of School or representative announces your name, please walk across the dais where the Chancellor/Pro Chancellor/Vice-Chancellor or Pro Vice-Chancellor will congratulate you on your achievement with a handshake. You will then be congratulated and presented with a certificate by a representative from the School. Stewards will guide you back to your seat. The Vice-Chancellor then confers the awards.
The Processions leave the Chapel/Cathedral, followed by the graduates and then the guests. Ushers direct the graduates and guests to the refreshment areas.
How long does each ceremony last?
Each ceremony lasts for approximately one hour, depending on the numberof graduates being presented.
What happens if I am late for my ceremony?
It is very important that you arrive in good time for your ceremony. No graduate or guest will be admitted during the speeches. If you do arrive during this time you will be required to wait until the speeches have finished before you are admitted. Once the presentation of the graduates has commenced, it will not be possible for latecomers to enter the Chapel/Cathedral.
What happens at the end of the ceremony?
The ceremony will end with the departure of the Chancellor’s, Pro-Chancellor’s and Vice-Chancellor’s, Civic and Academic Procession. Graduates will follow on and process out to the reception area, where a celebratory drink will be offered, and you will have the opportunity to meet friends, family, colleagues and guests.