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

If all the students responded within a day there would still be some who couldn't attend though. Would they expect that? I don't think so.

So if every single person responded in one day… I guess those that responded at 11pm and weren’t successful, would simply have to accept that those that were successful all responded in the hours before 11pm.

and attend the November ceremony as clearly stated would be the case on the invite

Obviously but not good.

Them’s the breaks.

the housemates took it seriously and will be enjoying in July
the dd will have learned to take email instructions and reminders seriously, irrespective of how unfair she thinks the process generally is

This is wrong. The fact that the great hall I too small means they need to have more graduation slots. So much that can be done - big screens in adjoining room etc etc. of course she should be apply to graduate with her course mates. Very poor indeed.

I agree.

And don’t we all know it!

As a parent who also has worked in many universities it would put me off. It suggests they have expanded and aren't making much effort to mitigate things so that students don't have a less good experience as a result. I would have told my DC that and they might have listened.

and any 18 yr old who loved the uni and the course on offer would have roundly ignored your warnings about the graduate ceremony process and how it was first come first serve

They may have ignored me but did sometimes listen regarding universities. I certainly listened to my own parents at that age.

I would be very worried if my 18 year old loved a uni and loved the course on offer and was really set on it, but because I sat them down and with a serious look on my face said

“DD, in 3 years time, you will receive an invitation to attend your graduate ceremony and it will stipulate first come first serve due to limited with the alternative being
in November and i think that is so unfair that you should consider another uni with a different process for graduate ceremony invitations” 😆

And on that note… cape fear episode 4!

Out of interest, what was your role in the ‘many universities’ you worked at @Pikachu150? seems you know an awful lot about the organisation of graduation ceremonies and the processes involved.

I was a lecturer. Now retired

Why would you be worried about the fact they cared about your opinion. My DC didn't massively love one university over another so probably would have taken my and DH's opinion into account. I was a lecturer. Dh academic too.

And that answers everything. 🤷‍♀️

We all found graduation incredibly boring! The only nice thing was getting photos posing with gowns and hats.

There’s not that much teaching anymore though is there? In her first yr DD got 5 hours F2F per week. Terms are short, with a month off for Christmas and Easter. She only went back for 2 weeks after Easter and she was done for the year 🤷‍♀️

I don’t think it’s asking for much for students to be able to graduate with their course mates .

But my point is that the tuition fees don’t ever go towards graduation. I can’t comment on the value of tuition fees as that’s not my specialism. I organise graduation with next to zero budget.

I agree with this. It’s also quite something to throw the best part of £30k at an academic institution, and then have to pay hundreds(admittedly, not all, but some of that is voluntary-hotel, outfits etc), to receive your certificate with your family present.
Let’s call it what it is, not just a respected ‘seat of learning’ but a money making enterprise.

There’s a difference between caring about your parents opinion
and

an 18 yr old loving a particular university and Loving the course and it being spot on for them . But your parents sitting you down and encouraging you to reconsider on the basis that in 3 years time they will receive an invitation to their graduation ceremony and it will be first come first serve, and they should rather select a uni which doesn’t follow this process - and saying

“yes I won’t go to this uni that I love and really interested in the course, it’s my first choice in fact because of the possibility if I delay responding to the invite in 3 years time I might not get my first choice ceremony date” 😆

I would hope that this student would also check what happens at every university they are applying to.
They should also get a Time Machine in case the rules change in 3 years time.

No that’s not fair.

I also would advise my children and friends and definitely would not go to that college myself if I thought only a select few were allowed to go to a graduation ceremony.

Whatever the criteria it’s not fair, and I don’t like people being treated differently.

Even if the university was your first choice and you loved the course… you would
not go on the basis that on 3 years time you’ll receive an invite for your grad ceremony and if you don’t reply promptly you may not get your first choice of July?

I thought only a select few were allowed to go to a graduation ceremony.

it’s not “ a select few”? What are you waffling on about.

It’s the adults that read the very explicit and unambiguous email and responded promptly to the invite. Like ALL the DD’s friends