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

So why is this not clear on the university website.

It doesn't have to be provided that the students who will be affected are told about it and it sounds like all received an email. I do remember reading somewhere that if students hadn't received an email by mid May confirming their slot that they should contact the Uni immediately because something had clearly gone wrong. But it sounds as if the OP's DD hadn't even necessarily registered by that time.

One glass of champagne and a couple of canopes per person? There isn't going to be loads of wasted champagne and food if a couple of students don't want to attend.

It may be more than “just a couple”.

Would you organise your child’s wedding without confirming numbers?

Thank you all for your posts. I think the Uni Admins and PR staff are rallying around to try save some bad publicity. My daughter did apply before the deadline.There aren't enough graduation places for all the students so the Uni has a 'first come first served' policy rather like Glastonbury or a Harry Styles gig. I do not agree with this. I think they need a bigger venue and/or more ceremonies.

If they are going to have a frequently asked questions section and one of the questions is "why am I on the waiting list" I would say that information does have to be provided. Otherwise they are not answering their own question correctly.

It is hardly a wedding reception. It's a glass of champagne and (at best) a couple of canopies.

I wonder how many places they DO have, do they announce that in their email? and do they prioritize students over guests ?

It would be shit if they were doling out guest spaces before the deadline for students to apply when they know they have a limited capacity.

Either way, they need to get their act together and do right by their students.

I know you keep saying that you think the university should have more ceremonies but I’m a bit stumped as to how this helps your daughter. They do have more ceremonies - she doesn’t want to go on the alternative date she has been offered. Even if they held more ceremonies during the same week, if she applied later than her friends then she still runs the risk of not being in the same one as them surely?

I agree it’s really disappointing and I do feel for her, but I think it’s one to learn from. If something is important to you, and they say it’s “first come first served) then don’t put it off. I’m very sure no uni is doing this just for a giggle or to upset anyone - there will be reasons for the capacities being as they are and it’s just really unfortunate for those who miss out. But as far as I can see it they are not saying people can’t graduate or attend a ceremony - they are holding enough ceremonies for everyone, but those who were slower to respond attend later in the year.

I think the Uni Admins and PR staff are rallying around to try save some bad publicity.

Alternatively they know that your DD fucked up and they are trying to sort out her mistake for her. When was the deadline and when did she actually register? Was it a couple of weeks after emails went out in Feb/Mar or was it a few weeks ago?

So why can’t they add another student? Allow them to sit in the room?

I can't believe that they don't have enough space for every student on the course to graduate at the same time. This would put me off Lancaster Uni if my children were thinking of applying there. First come first served for a graduation is awful. The people saying to wait until November, why should she, she has done the work and is graduating, the university should make sufficient places available. It sounds like they aren't interested once they have the course fees.

I worked as a "student helper" at many of the graduation ceremonies back in the 80s and early 90s when I was at Manchester uni. I have to say that even then the halls were packed out. Part of my job was trying to find spaces for late comers. It must have been very disappointing for family who had come from abroad not to see their son or daughter graduate. Every year we had to open subsidiary rooms in the building with large TV screens. We also passed out free drinks as a sort of consolation prize. I used to love the graduation days although I only attended the ceremony for my first degree. For my Masters and Doctorate I did not bother. When you consider how the numbers have increased at uni since the 80s its not surprising that there are now problems.

<<Bashes head against the wall>>

Because they planed the number of places based on those who responded as directed earlier in the year.

The OP’s daughter only requested a place later in the year after the allocations had been done.

The university can’t just rustle up a seat or are you suggesting they should rescind places for students and their guests who managed to read their emails and inform the university at the appropriate time they would be attending?

Why would you finalise your seating plan before the final deadline? Students have the chance to respond before the final deadline. They are clearly full long before that date because the venue is so small.

Okay, so now you’re saying there isn’t enough space.

Exactly.

For the record I’m not affiliated to Lancaster Uni in any way other than my son graduating from there 3 years ago.

Its a great university and he throughly enjoyed his time there.

I am not part of any PR campaign.

I do however feel it’s unfair for the university to be blamed for a situation of the OP’s child’s making and the OP appearing not to understand how the collegiate system there works and for this provoking comments such as “I won’t be sending my child to this university”.

Whatever the detail of the admin, Lancaster University is clearly an outlier. Many of us have enjoyed graduations at different UK universities with and without college systems, institutions who are able to accommodate all their students in the summer graduation, without this ridiculous lottery system. I get that some people are defensive of their child’s university and/or love picking at an OP, but the facts are clear.

<<Bashes head against the wall>>

A few of us are starting to feel like that I think. The OP is never going to accept that any of this is her DD's fault, it's all the fault of that nasty university so she has to slag it off on SM.

You can see for yourself Welldoya unless an admin has deleted it

Why would you finalise your seating plan before the final deadline?

Maybe because those desperate for the summer one respond quickly, those not arsed about which ceremony don't. Again, what was the deadline and when did your DD register?

Of course there won’t be a place for you if you failed to tell the university to wanted to attend until after the allocations were done <sigh>.

No they are have multiple days, the first one that has space for people who can't follow simple instructions is in November. As it happens I don't understand how they can have the ceremony in July, the results of my finals (and hence if I'd actually got a degree) weren't announced until nearly the end of July, if I recall correctly, University of London ceremonies were on multiple days in November and December and it was necessary to choose a date and alternatives if you wanted to go.

Well you know what the comments were then don't you.

Well you know what the comments were then don't you.

I've been on the FB page since last September and now I can't see any comments at the moment so something is going on there. I do recall reading about someone whose child only registered about 3 weeks ago.

I assume it was you who posted on the parent’s Facebook group as you are not denying that.

So you knew what the full situation was but decided to ignore important details in your post here.