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

Helpful for what?

A lot of the LU FB parents group appears to be about the best places to eat and hold-ups on the M6, but some people like to be part of a virtual community and that's fine.

No I don’t work there.

I have explained upthread my child used to be there.

Accommodation, landlord queries, open days, what to pack and what NOT to pack, pan types (some hobs in halls are
Induction). Loads of stuff.

Not everyone has attended university so any advice is helpful!

Why is that weird?

We (and he) were keen to attend his graduation so we discussed the process and he shared the emails at the time with us - including him confirming with us that he had confirmed his attendance with the University.

Whats arguably weird is this thread where incorrect/inomplete information has been given by the OP and where people have pointed this out repeatedly and yet there a ton of responses pointing fingers in the wrong direction.

I’m sorry the OP and her daughter have not got the dates they wanted and I hope she is successful via the waiting list.

However this is down to her not confirming her attendance at the appropriate times as she would have been instructed to do (and something all her friends managed to do).

But they have offered her another ceremony.

I’m so sorry to hear this OP. That is really disappointing. These kind of organisations respond to negative publicity. Ring a sympathetic local journalist to raise awareness. They’ll contact the Uni media Team. Nothing to lose.

I genuinely don’t know how else to explain this so let me try again.

Yes the size of the Great Hall is restricts the numbers for any single ceremony. That is true of any venue.

This is why early in the year they ask students to confirm who wants to attend so they can schedule in the number of ceremonies they need to meet capacity.

If you don’t respond in time ie after the number of ceremonies and dates have been scheduled (in mid-May) then yes, you’ll be out of luck if the one you wanted to attend is already at capacity.

In this instance you’ll be put on a wait list in case someone cancels, or offered a date at another ceremony which might be at a different college in the summer or potentially later in the year if all the summer ceremonies are fully booked.

If the OP’s daughter had responded earlier the year she would have been part of the planning to ensure she got a place.

As for the FB page I’m still on it as I didn’t bother to unfollow after DC left.

It’s a useful place (or rather was for me when he was there) to ask questions like where to stay in Lancaster or where to park etc. It’s not about discussing your child’s education (or antics).

Much as with MN it’s not a private forum and what you post there is publicly available.

In November, not July. Hardly ideal. I’m with OP. Their approach means that some students will be disappointed and thats both wrong and unfair.

That really is appalling and yes you should kick up a stink.

They should limit it to one guest per student before they limit the actual students!

His much did this cost her to do the course, and she’s on a waiting list🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️£10 to post her certificate. I’d be calling someone at the uni and giving off stink

I have had 3 go through uni and in my experience you have to apply as soon as the date opens up.

This is no good to you now but maybe your dd could go along for her friends graduation to be in the photos with them.

There is usually an application process for tickets, did she miss the deadline?

Check that they do get their degree if they don't take part in a ceremony. DG has his graduation delayed until May, but can't put his letters after his name until then.

I agree its awful.

My masters graduation was awful. I was in a cohort with thousands of international students, all seemingly from the same international business school recruitment partners. It was surreal as there were, for example, 30 of people with the same name as each other.

Lovely people, seemed happy, but I felt like a prize cattle at an auction, being funneled through. The staff were aggressive and bouncer-like - it was more like admission to a low-rent nightclub than a university. It had no atmos/gravitas at all. There was a very strong smell of body odour. The other graduands talked all the way through the ceremony - in their home language. Actually that may have been the reason for the "heavies" - just crowd control - it felt a bit surreal and very little cultural alignment between us.

We were very polite but inwardly I did cringe and wish I hadn't bothered travelling up with family. I could be happy on behalf of them all, and watch them celebrating, but I just didn't feel part of it, it was quite a surprise.

Applied within(!) the deadline. Seriously, what are deadlines for if they aren't deadlines? I speak as a lawyer. Either it's met or not. I think this is unacceptable personally.

I remember my daughter applied as soon as booking opened as the uni were clear that there may not be space for everyone. Not all students bother with the ceremony for various reasons. I am sorry for your daughter but it sounds as though she was slow off the mark if all her friends have spaces. Life lesson - get in quick.

Ok what is the point of a deadline. What exactly does it mean in this instance then?

Can anyone explain this to me?

No, they could limit the hall to the graduates and the spill-over rooms (which pp's have confirmed the venue has, and uses) to their family and friends, as one alternative. Usually there is a whole faculty per graduation rather than just one subject - e.g. all english related degrees (so joint honours, english lit and english language) - if the room is so small they could split it up so only one subject attends, as another option. Or they could just use a bigger space! My uni didn't have a big enough venue so it hired the local theatre.

I also think it's a pisstake to be asked to pay £10 to post a sodding certificate when she will have alreadypaid the uni at the very least £28,000 in tuition fees, plus often accommodation.

Which University are we talking about?

This happened to my son. We did try to fight it to get him to be able to attend but we did not succeed.

It's appalling, especially considering the fees.

I’m an HE department head - I am horrified. I have never heard of this. The only limits are on guest tickets.

I've never heard of that before that is shocking. A graduation is so special for the student and their family. What University and course?