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

I understand limited space. So you have a space for all those who are graduating and limit guests. Or have more ceremonies.

No she didn’t.

She only applied AFTER all the capacity planning and requests to inform the university you will be attending had been completed.

The only people who don’t seem to understand this are posters who have just read the opening post which omits some very significant information.

ETA: I do understand why this is important. But blaming the university in this context is not fair or appropriate. The OP’s daughter messed up by not registering her intention to attend graduation as instructed.

OP says her DC applied before the deadline. Someone has cocked up massively as this could be a publicity nightmare for the institution.

Why are you believing the OP with her very very limited details over posters who are explaining how Lancaster graduation actually works?

So true.

None of the posters work at lancaster university apparently so how would they know how it works?

That’s crazy not enough places for students to graduate

I don’t see why they can’t just add an extra name on. Can people not stand - do they have to sit on a chair ?

they go to front. Handshake. Certificate. Group photo

they should make clear there are only x number of spaces

A good question 😃.

In response I think many posters have only read the opening post which omits key information and the fact the OP has been disingenuous about the situation and the simple fact that the ceremony wasn’t important enough to her daughter to respond in a timely fashion.

But let’s not let facts get in the way of a good frothing 😂

None of the posters work at lancaster university apparently so how would they know how it works?

Because their children have been through the fucking system!

Do you understand the meaning of experience? I think you're just winding people up now and trying to get them deleted.

The capacity required will not vary much from year to year, so they will have a good idea of how many students are likely to attend. It doesn't seem clear to me why they would need to know an exact number in March or April for "capacity planning".

My graduation ceremony was a whole year after I finished my course. The ceremony involved graduates from all colleges in the University of London and we were seated alphabetically within our degree groups (BA, BSc, BEd, MA etc etc) so we weren't with our friends anyway. I only saw one person I knew on the day as other people had been allocated different dates. I survived. As another PP said it's a day for family more than friends.

That’s ridiculous - graduation is an important “rite of passage” in my book.
I’m still cross that I didn’t get to go to my daughter’s MSc ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall as she buggered off to work in Fiji. But that’s my issue 🙄
I really hope that your daughter gets to graduate with her cohort, but don’t know how you can expedite it I’m afraid.

Because our children went there (as previously posted) and can confirm the process was clearly laid out….

Some of us are also still on the uni parents page and have seen the OP’s posts there plus the Uni responses.

I’m not affiliated with the University but I don’t like seeing an institution (where my DC had a fabulous time and subsequently rated more highly than his later post grad experience at Cambridge in virtually every respect) unfairly blamed for the OP’s daughter not prioritising responding to (what would have been multiple emails) to register her attendance at graduation.

They haven't been through the system, though, have they? Their children are the ones that went through the system. And given they were in their twenties, it seems really weird that they knew exactly when they received emails and what the deadlines were, and can recite them years later. My children have been "through the system" at different universities, but I don't know the ins and outs of when they responded to emails about graduation. That is because it's the kind of thing you only ask about if something goes wrong, surely?

😂😂😂

This is so frustrating.

I’m almost seeing the daily fail “sad face” article 😂.

”Child denied attendance at graduation”

Que lots of clicks only to read they didn’t apply on time and a lot of (far more robust) comments than you’d get on here about a university education not teaching common sense/accountability and a gross sense of entitlement about not understanding that actions (or lack of in this case) have consequences.

@mildlyfried I am.very sorry and to be honest shocked this has happened. Is she in one of the larger collages. Dd is in year 1 and i knnow they graduate with collages and by subject normally. There seem to be a total of 15 graduations over the week and I am amazed/ shocked they cant fit her in. Although again may not be with her friends. I saw your post on the parents FB page, perhaps another now to say whats happening may.raise concerns. Lancaster pride themselves on the.stundent experiance, they may not like a North west to night or.lanaster guardian peice 3 days before an open day about this. They should prioritise graduates over guests in the great hall.

The OP has been flexible with the truth about the information shared.
The person who cocked up is the daughter.

If you look on Reddit, it’s completely normal!

Also note the amount of students who “forgot” to book their graduation ceremony. It’s very common.

There should be space for everyone though.

They haven't been through the system, though, have they? Their children are the ones that went through the system. And given they were in their twenties, it seems really weird that they knew exactly when they received emails and what the deadlines were, and can recite them years later. My children have been "through the system" at different universities, but I don't know the ins and outs of when they responded to emails about graduation. That is because it's the kind of thing you only ask about if something goes wrong, surely?

Maybe your children didn't want you to be involved in the process, plenty do. And sometimes it just crops up in conversation. I don't think exact dates of emails have been mentioned have they? I don't know why you have such an issue with that poster.

My DC had a lovely ceremony in the winter. Loads of people do!

I’m almost seeing the daily fail “sad face” article

Maybe that's the only way for us to find out the truth!

Involved in what process? Answering e mails?

From personal experience, i.e. family, Oxford, Oxford Brookes, Salford, de Montfort, all have done so for Graduates, Masters and Doctorates within the past decade. And Oxford, at least, has a rolling programme of degree ceremonies through to May 2027.

I think you are being deliberately argumentative now.

Of course parents are often involved in these things! They may have to book travel well in advance. Book holidays, arrange hotels etc.

Here, here!