Daughter unable to attend her graduation ceremony as it is full. Advice please

[mildlyfried]

My daughter has just finished a three year Bsc (hons) at a major University. She has been advised that she cannot attend her graduation ceremony as it is full and she is on a waiting list. All the other ceremonies are at capacity too. She has been told that if a place does not become available then she can either try to graduate in November without her friends or have her certificate posted to her for a £10 fee.

To say we are upset and disappointed is an understatement. Has anyone ever heard of this before? I did not think a University would do this and would make sure they had enough graduation days/dates for all their students. The students have paid tens of thousands in fees and slogged for three years to be denied the chance to get their degree in a ceremony with their family watching.

Is there anyone out there with any advice? maybe someone who works at a University? I'm tempted to go to the local paper and tell the story so other students know what to expect at this University. Students should be told when they are choosing the University that they are not guaranteed a graduation.

Thanks for reading

Well the have done. They’re putting on a second ceremony for those that the July date doesn’t suit and those that read about the limited capacity and first come first served basis but dallied

You’d think so but the law is very strict. Anything in the public domain is fine but any discussion or query regarding an individual isn’t allowed. Can’t even confirm whether a person is a student at the university

I'm really sorry to hear that this has happened to your daughter OP, but it is definitely a thing at other universities and has been for a long time. I graduated with my undergrad almost 25 years ago and I remember being told to apply to attend the ceremony asap because spaces are limited. One of my friends took his time and didn't get a space. Universities the size of Lancaster will be holding 2-3 graduation ceremonies a day for weeks and students will graduate with the rest of their school or faculty with the relevant staff in attendance. That means that adding on an extra ceremony for any stragglers would be difficult for various logistical reasons (venue availability, staff availability, the number of staff you'd need present if students from across the schools or faculities are all graduating together in one ceremony). If they did add on another date your daughter would either be graduating without her friends anyway, or they'd have to reschedule the whole programme which would be inconvenient for people who had already planned travel to attend. There's lots of ways that you can make your daughter's day special, and this is an important lesson for her that if something is important then it's worth making sure you get in there early.

That’s ridiculous. DD2 graduated last year. There were graduation ceremonies for over a week. Everyone got to attend.

I’m happy to acknowledge this, and still think it’s irrelevant. They know the numbers per faculty per college and as a pp said, given the known capacity of the hall, it would be a five minute job for a basic computer programme (even free Chat GPT could do it!) to spit out the ceremony schedule which ensure the hall is filled during each session.

Who's to say that they haven't done this and found that only a small amount of students are in the OP's DD's position. Personally I think it would be a waste of money to add another day just for a few students when Nov is also available. And the OP's DD still wouldn't be with her friends (if she ever was going to be).

What a nasty post. Graduating with your class or friends in July matters. November (frequently when masters students graduate) when you’ve already moved in is not in any way comparable.

To those who are saying g its because Lancaster graduate them by college /faculty - well then they need to have more than one the capacity overflows. Yes it’s a pain, yes it costs, yen it’s a lot of time investment, but they really owe it to their students.

I know who you are OP because you posted on the Lancaster university parents Facebook page a few weeks ago.

Lancaster is really clear that you have to apply for a place by the deadline which your DD didn’t do. They received various emails and reminders. Lancaster graduation ceremonies are done by College not by course and so it is frequently the case that kids graduate on a different day to their main friends. Your DD could have graduated in the July graduation week with a different college where there was discerning. Or she can graduate in November or next July with her college where no doubt she will know people who were on four year courses.

I agree that it is frustrating but this is unfortunately your DDs fault. Once the deadline has passed the university offers the spare places to students who can’t make their own college graduation day etc which is why there are now no places left.

Wow!!

do. They received various emails and reminders.

so dd didn’t just take the first invite not seriously

i think you are wrong @PerditaCampbellBlack
she didnt miss the deadline, as has been repeated many many times

I really don't get all the posters saying it serves her right for not being quick off the mark. She did apply by the deadline, and that should be all that matters. There should be space for everyone - and if there isn't, obviously some students will miss out, if not her then others. If the venue is too small they need to find a bigger venue, have longer graduation days, or hold more graduation days - now, not in November.

I've never heard of students not being able to attend their own graduation at the appropriate time due to number constraints.

There should be sufficient places for everyone due to graduate. When I graduated we just all turned up at the date and time we were told to

I work in a uni and I think its unacceptable not to have enough spaces for all the graduands at their graduation. It should NOT BE "first come - first served", based on my students ability to hit deadlines, I'd have many ADHD students that would miss out under this regime.

Students fee's keep the lights on at universities so ensuring they have their day in the sun is basic respect

There are no real capacity limits of graduations, only a limit on how much the uni wants to spend....

Don't have enough spaces? Book a bigger venue, run more sessions.

Limiting spaces is pure cost cutting, if people defend it, Unis will cut back further. Make the application window smaller, blame the students: "oh sorry I know we made it harder to get in then Glastonbury, but thats your fault for not logging in at 3am to our hidden website.... "

I personally don't think students should book their place but be invited to their place thats been reserved for them already. Same with guests back in ye olde days you could bring more then one family member as guest and now thats being scaled back in many institutions.

I think the best thing would be go GO COMPLETELY MENTAL - if this happend to my daughter, I'd be running a PR war against the university, make as much noise as possible. Get the issue trending and maybe even if your situation isn't solved the uni might think twice about their policy

It sounds rubbish to me, they should have enough spaces for everyone who was on the course, and only the guest list should have limits if necessary.
At my son's graduation each graduation was just for one subject.
My youngest has put Lancaster as insurance.

Is this really a thing? I guess that it must be these days having read a few of the comments (I will admit that I haven't entirely RTFT).

When I graduated from a college that was part of London University, the graduation ceremony was held at the Royal Albert Hall (the place where the Proms are held).

There was definitely enough space there (it holds upwards of 5,000 people). At the time, there were around 2,000 undergraduates who graduated each year.

As I understand it, the university has grown considerably since then and there are typically 8,000 undergraduates who graduate each year, these days.

[Part of that growth is that they have absorbed other, previously separate, institutions such as the School of Pharmacy (SOP), the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), and several medical schools (including UCH, Royal Free, Middlesex, and the London School of Medicine for Women)]

But, even so, to go from around 2,000 people graduating each year to 8,000 people graduating each year just shows how much some universities have grown since then and how many overseas students there are. According to the college's own figures, slightly less than half of their undergraduates come from the UK these days.

Although, I do understand that they now hold their graduation ceremonies (plural) at the Royal Festival Hall which only holds around 2,500 people. So perhaps they also do have similar arrangements these day?

Why don’t they just do it over a few days. That is so stupid.

Bloody hell, this is really poor.

If the 'Great Hall' isn't big enough, time to change the venue to a Greater Hall. Or organise it so that there are multiple ceremonies on each day - enough to accommodate all schools and all students. Even if it means a back-to-back conveyor belt, or making the ceremonies shorter....it can't be beyond the wit of Lancaster University to come up with a better solution.

Are they all a bit thick?

No this is naff. I went to 3 unis and was guaranteed a place for all 3 graduations as long as I applied for it by the deadline. To not have enough space for a whole degree cohort to graduate together is rubbish.

Well I am a lot older that that and thought all students were allowed to attend their OWN graduation ceremony. They should have several ceremonies or have it outside if the hall of it is too small.

They are well able to take peoples money but can’t come up with an idea to accommodate them all? Stupid.

That’s a moot point really, because even if every graduate applied on the first hour, of the first day, there still would have been a waiting list because the university has made a decision to limit the number who can graduate with their year cohort.

Gosh are people not reading? So many are asking if she’d passed everything, missed the deadline etc. well it appears that as it’s first come first served it’s very possible to apply within the deadline and not get a place. Though I think it’s bizarre not to have a space for everyone. My DD is at Durham and they hold the ceremony within the Cathedra@DidntLikeTheEndingThey do it by department and subject over several days, and all students who are eligible to graduate are guaranteed a place.
What difference fits it make if it’s the actual degree? It’s the ceremony that counts.
And @DidntLikeTheEnding it may be
boring for you but for those actually getting the degree (or piece if scrolling saying degree to come) it’s recognition of years of hard work.

There is a real unpleasant tone from some here. No sympathy for a young person, with an almost gloating attitude. The girl wasn’t as quick as her friends, that’s all. She was still within the deadline. It’s hardly a crime.

Usually Universities email the students about graduation details months ahead and it is up to the students to book it. They book guest tickets, hire gowns and book photos all the information is usually contained in the same email with links and with the cut off dates to apply clearly marked in bold. If your daughter didn’t do this then unfortunately she will need to face the consequences. Get the certificate posted out and go out for a nice meal instead. Are you sure she has passed her degree course?

Was there a time limit on replying? All of mine always have been as if she ignored that and they then gave the extra seats to families...that is on her....if not then that is the uni at fault.

i bet people will book holidays and a place or two will become available