The Ceremony

The ceremony will take place in the Grand Marquee, along the waterfront next to the James Hehir Building. 

Seating

The Grand Marquee will open one hour before the published start time of the ceremony for graduands and guests to start taking their seats. Please ensure that you and your guests arrive at the Grand Marquee together so that you can be checked in and your e-tickets scanned. You must have purchased tickets for your guests in advance, and only guests who you have an e-ticket for will be allowed entry to the Grand Marquee.

Each graduating student will be allocated a specific seat in the graduands’ seating area, and your seat number will be shown on your graduate e-ticket. Graduands are seated alphabetically within each course. It is important that you sit in your allocated seat to ensure that the correct name is called when you cross the stage.

On arrival in the Grand Marquee, you will need to check-in with a steward. You will then be directed to your allocated seat. All graduating students should be sitting in their allocated seat at least 15 minutes before the ceremony is due to start.

Guest seats in the Grand Marquee are not allocated, unless you have told us when you purchased your tickets that your guests have an accessibility requirement such as space for a wheelchair. Your guests will be able to choose where to sit within the guest seating area, so the earlier you arrive the more choice there will be. Only guests who you have an e-ticket for will be allowed access to the marquee.

The Ceremony

The graduation ceremony will begin at the published start time and last approximately one hour. The congregation are asked to stand on entry of the procession. Once the stage party are in position, the congregation will be asked to sit and the ceremony will be opened with a welcoming address. If there is an honorary award, an oration will be made and the recipient will then make a response.

Graduands will then be called to the stage for their awards to be conferred. A steward will ask a row of graduands to leave their seats and line up in the left-hand aisle. Another steward will tell you when to go and wait at the bottom of the ramp for your name to be read out. Once your name is called, go up the ramp and cross the stage. As you go across the stage you will be greeted by the conferring officer (normally the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, or Pro-Chancellor) signifying the conferral of your award. A photographer from Marston Events will take your picture as you are greeted by the conferring officer.

When you leave the stage you will be directed to the back of the marquee to collect your certificate. You will then return to your original seat.

Guests are allowed to use handheld cameras to take photographs and/or video while the ceremony is taking place but are asked to be considerate of people who may be seated behind them so as not to obstruct their view. Cameras which require tripods are not allowed as the walkways need to be kept clear for the procession and for health and safety requirements.

After all awards have been conferred, one of the new graduates will then give a short vote of thanks on behalf of the graduates present at that ceremony. The conferring officer will then formally close the ceremony.

At the close of the ceremony the stage party will leave the stage and process to the back of the marquee. The new graduates will be then be directed, a row at a time, to process out of the marquee.

Guests will be directed by stewards to the exits and out on to the Waterfront to meet up with the new graduates when they leave the marquee.

Disclaimer

Please be aware that there will be a photographer present at the graduation ceremonies who will be taking photographs for promotional purposes to be used in future University of Suffolk publications, on the University of Suffolk website and alongside relevant press coverage. If you have any objections to your photograph being taken and used in this way, please make a member of staff aware at the earliest opportunity.