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

And that figures is with the ceremony being on university grounds or them having to pay a small fortune to hire a HUGE space so every graduate is guaranteed the ceremony they wish to attend?

And further to being banned from the FB group posted on here that this was done by Uni Admins when it’s made very clear the group is run by parents and not affiliated to the University.

As I posted previously the OP has been highly disingenuous in respect of the information she has posted on this thread and her reasons for doing so.

It's on the university campus. I've checked and there is a similar disclaimer to Lancaster's about places not being guaranteed but I have never known that happen with any of my students over the last 25 years.

Wow!! And not been back here

PBP?

I can just imagine this pair In RL. I reckon the housemates aren’t…. Disappointed

No I think she has been back but she's absolutely doubled down on the uni being in the wrong.

She said that the FB group had banned her so goodness knows what she said there, it's a very welcoming benevolent group in my experience.

She’d have had to have been quite vile. Abusive.
I can’t see this university being sorry to see the back of families like this

but not back recently so perhaps previously banned here too

This is very unusual. Most universities allocate two tickets to each student for their graduation ceremony and then there’s a time period in which people can apply for more in a lottery. Has she spoken to the head of the University Registry? I would try that. I work in higher ed and this isn’t something I would expect to happen where I work.

Notwithstanding some of the rather dismissive advice here this kind of suggests that the Uni itself does not hold its degrees in the highest esteem. After years of study and incurring massive debt, the least they could do is appreciate how much it means to a student. If they want as many students as they take then they should ensure that the final recognition is available to all. Why not two days of Graduation Ceremonies so that all can be honoured and more family and friends able to share in the celebration? Not too much to ask!

It’s ranked either number 10 or 14 according to the two main ranking sources

Yep, I think it’s doing alright

and for the 1000x time… there is another ceremony in November!

They will almost certainly have at least two days of ceremonies. We have two weeks of them where I work, two ceremonies each day.

They do 5 days of graduation ceremonies, 3 sessions per day plus November days. How many do you want?

The knock on effects of money grabbing senior leadership accepting more students than they can accommodate whilst maintaining student experience.

They have 15 ceremonies.
3 a day for 5 days

And then of course the extra one on November for those that want November or those who delayed responding

Do Universities have parents Facebook pages

And for masters etc other students that finish later
It won’t have been set up for undergrads missing a spot

I think it’s terrible after paying all that money. Not much you can do about it though other than celebrate as a family.

Yes it’s terrible that after paying all that money the OP’s daughter ignored multiple communications over several months from the University to book a place at the summer graduation….
…..it’s also pretty terrible that the OP is determined to make this the fault of the university.

It’s a FB group set up by and administered by parents for parents of children attending.

Often used to ask questions about where to stay/places to visit eat etc etc when visiting.

Not affiliated to the university at all (which it makes clear).

What’s your point?

There are plenty of overinvested posters on this thread, mainly those with kids at Lancaster ;-) I would argue that there are some strangely overinvested parents on here full-stop. It is one thing giving your kids lots of support as they start university etc. It is quite another thing to still keep looking at your kids’ university Reddit threads and Facebook posts after your kids have started university, and even graduated! That is a little weird.

Apparently. They now seem to be on this thread slagging off OP (who is probably long gone) and her daughter and anyone who also thinks ALL undergraduate students should be able to attend ceremonies in July if they reply by a specific deadline. Weird

I asked more because I’m struggling to fathom why Uni parent Facebook pages exists
It all seems a bit obsessive
but I’m off to see if there’s any at my boys Uni 🤣🤣

Yes.