Guidance Notes

UNIVERSITY CENTRE DONCASTER GRADUATION CEREMONY

PLEASE NOTE - These notes have not yet been updated for 2012, and relate to 2011's ceremonies. Updated information will be posted on this website in the months leading up to the 2012 ceremonies. Thank you for your patience.

The following notes are intended to help you with the arrangements you need to make before your particular Graduation Ceremony and to guide you through the day itself.

If you have registered with us, paid any monies owned and successfully completed your course then we have secured you a place at the graduation ceremonies.

Please note: to attend your graduation ceremony you must have successfully completed your course and paid any monies owed; if you are not eligible to graduate then we may remove your right to attend.

TO ORGANISE BEFORE THE CEREMONY

1.     Registration & Tickets

Graduand Tickets and Registration

Graduands will not be given a ticket until the day of the ceremony. You will collect this from the registration desk.

Guest Tickets and Registration

This year’s package includes entry into Doncaster Minster for the ceremony and entry to the Afternoon Tea served in the Events Hall at the Hub. Tickets cost £14 per person and can be ordered by completing the booking process. Tickets are sold as a package and cannot be sold separately.

Graduand tickets will be available for collection from the registration desk on the day of your graduation. 

When you book your Guest Tickets you will recieve an email confirmation.  Attached to this email is a pdf document - you/your Guests will need to bring this with them to the registration desk as proof of purchase. This will then be swapped for their actual Tickets on the day.

Guests will gain admittance to the Minster and be served Afternoon Tea upon production of their Guest Ticket.

2.     Gowns

The appropriate academic dress must be worn - a gown, hood and cap over a dark suit or similar smart day clothes. The hood is usually attached to the button on a shirt. You may find it more comfortable to wear a shirt that buttons up to the neck. (Note: Graduands may find it useful to bring some hairpins to hold their hats in place and safety pins for their hoods).

Please book your academic robe and cap from Ede & Ravenscroft . You can order online or by phone.  To be sure that your robe and cap are available on the day, please place your order by Friday 11th November. You must pay the hire charge directly to Ede & Ravenscroft; the University Centre is not involved in this transaction.

Of course, if you already own your own academic dress, you can ignore this!

3.     Portrait Photographs

If you would like to have an official graduation photograph, please book with Ede & Ravenscroft Photography before Friday 11th November. They will then arrange to photograph you in your academic dress on the day of your Ceremony.

You can have photographs with family and friends as well - please inform Ede & Ravenscroft and make sure your family/friends accompany you to the Hub on the day.

4.     Memorabilia

University Centre Doncaster provides a range of items to help you remember your special day – for details please go to www.gownhire.co.uk – My  Accessories

5. Disabled Access

The Hub and The Minster are accessible for wheelchair users.

We do not have any Disabled Car Parking available to be reserved on the day, you and your guests may want to arrive early to secure parking.

Please identify any special requirements for you or your guests, during the booking process so that we can get in touch to arrange these for you or your guests.

On the day of your ceremony we will ask you to line up in the procession. We will then walk from the Hub to the Minster; however Graduands with a disability, medical condition or injury may struggle with the procession from the Hub to the Minster.  Please rest assured that alternative arrangements can be made to meet your individual needs - please contact us via graduation.enquiries@don.ac.uk to arrange this.

6.   What to wear

The Graduations are a formal (but celebratory!) occasion and we would ask all Graduands and Guests to respect this. Smart day clothes should be worn such as a suit or equivalent attire. For Graduands the hood of your Academic Dress can be most easily held in place by attaching to a button on a shirt or blouse.

Being in November the weather can be somewhat unpredicatable - please be prepared. We advise bringing some hat pins to help hold your cap in place as it can often be windy. The walk over to the Minster is taken at a steady pace and lasts around 10 minutes. It can be cold, windy and/or rainy (let us not mention snow) and we can't do much about any adverse weather so please bear with us.  We will, however, do our best to make sure any adverse weather doesn't spoil your day!

The Minster itself has excellent heating and is not as chilly as you might expect from this type of building.

Footwear: Please wear suitable footwear that you feel comfortable walking in and potentially being on your feet for most of the day. As a Graduand you will need to step up and down from a small stage in the Minster and also as you walk up the aisles there is some grating which can catch on high heels - please be careful and if you are uncomfortable with any of this please contact us or ask a steward on the day.

ON THE DAY

1.     Car Parking

There are several car parks in Doncaster within a short distance of the Minster, where the Graduation Ceremonies will take place.

Chappell Drive is approximately 5 minutes walk from the Hub and 10 minutes from Doncaster Minster. All day parking costs £4.

St Georges Car Park is approximately 2 minutes walk from Doncaster Minster and 10 minutes from the Hub. The maximum stay is three hours and costs £1.80.

New Market Car Park is approximately 10 to 15 minutes from the Hub and 5 minutes from Doncaster Minster. The maximum stay is two hours and costs £1.80.

Friars Gate Car park is approximately 10 minutes from the Hub and 2 minutes from Doncaster Minster. All day parking costs £3.50.

The length of stay and prices were checked at time of publication and may have changed slightly.

2.     Arrival

You must register at The Hub (see contact us pages for directions/map ) prior to your Ceremony to allow plenty of time for gowning and photographs. An email will be sent to you confirming your registration time prior to the day. Times are staggered to allow plenty of time for all graduands to be gowned and have their photographs taken.

It is essential that you report to the staff at the Graduation Registration Desk at the Hub as soon as you arrive and collect your ticket. They will be situated on the ground floor in the Atrium.

You will then be given a named ticket, to ensure that you are later shown to the correct seat and called up to be presented to the Presiding Officer/Conferrer at the correct point in the Ceremony. If you do not register, you will not be seated or called!

Please keep this ticket on you at all times – if you give your bag to a guest to hold remember to keep your ticket with you.

Your Guests will receive their tickets upon production of the pdf document that is attached to the email confirmation received after booking your Guest tickets. Your guests should go over to the Minster approximately 45 minutes before the start of the Ceremony, when stewards will show them to their seats. Please note that we cannot admit guests without a ticket.

3.     Gowning

Following registration you should follow the signs and proceed to the gowning area - located on the third floor in the Drama Hall. You can either use the escalator or lift, stewards will be on hand to give you any help you may need. 

After the ceremony please remain wearing your gown during Afternoon Tea. Straight after that please return your gown. Gown return will close at 5pm.

4.     Portrait and Group Photographs

If you have booked the photographer, a steward will show you to the photography area once you have been gowned. Photography will also be located on the third floor in the drama hall. If you have booked any group photographs with other Graduands or Family/Friends remmber you will need to all meet together at the Photography area to have the photographs taken.

5.  The Procession

Upon arrival you will be advised as to where you need to assemble for the procession.  Stewards will be on hand to guide you to your place but please adhere to any times you have been given.

The Hub and the Minster are accessible for wheelchair users; however Graduands with a disability, medical condition or injury may struggle with the procession from the Hub to the Minster.  Alternative arrangements can be made to meet your individual needs.   Please identify any special requirements during the booking process.

Please be aware that if you have a bag or any other items with you, you will need to carry them during the procession, keep them with you during the ceremony including when you go up to receive your scroll; and re-take a seat in the Minster (not the same seat!).  Therefore you may want to ask your guests to take care of any such items for you – but keep your ticket with you.

6.  Seating

Please show your seating ticket (the named ticket you will be given at The Hub as mentioned in point 2) to the Stewards, to ensure that you take the correct seat. You will be seated amongst your fellow students from the same course. Please do not sit in any other seat or you will find yourself outside the calling order as indicated in the programme.

7.  The Ceremony

Please refer to the Ceremony Programme (which you will receive on the day), which will detail the order of proceedings. The stewards will guide you from your seat to meet the Presiding Officer/Conferrer at the appropriate moment.

Although the ceremony is held in the Minster the service is not of a religious nature and will not exclude anyone because of their beliefs.

8.  After The Ceremony

Enjoy yourself!  Once the Ceremony ends and the Procession has exited the Minster please make your way back to the Hub. After you have left the Minster you can meet with your family and friends and walk over with them.

Afternoon Tea will be served in the Events Hall, which is situated on the ground floor off theAtrium in the Hub. We estimate that the ceremony will take 60 to 90 minutes. Afternoon Tea will be served straight after and will last one hour.

The buffet style meal will provide you with the perfect opportunity to celebrate with other graduates, tutors, and of course your family and friends.

Please note this year guest tickets will include entry into the Minster and entry to Afternoon Tea. Tickets come as a package and can not be sold separately.

Thanks for reading all this and have a great day!

If you have any queries which have not been answered here, please contact the Graduation Office on graduation.enquiries@don.ac.uk