University of Suffolk at West Suffolk College

Graduation Registration will open in August and is online. The registration form will take you through a few steps during which you will check your name, confirm your address, and register your interest in attending, or not attending, your graduation ceremony. The online registration form will be available in OASIS until noon on Tuesday 24 September 2024. Please complete your registration as soon as possible after receipt of your invitation email, and by noon on Tuesday 24 September 2024 at the latest.

Whether you wish to attend your ceremony or not, it is important that you complete your online Graduation Registration so that we have a correct record of your name and the address where you can be contacted until November 2024. If you are not attending and you do not complete the graduation registration form, we will not post your certificate.

For graduates whose awards were conferred in April, if you completed the graduation registration form in April and registered your interest in attending your graduation ceremony, you will be sent details by email in August about how to purchase your tickets and order your gown. If you did not complete the graduation registration form in April but would like to register your interest in attending your graduation ceremony, please email the Graduation Office.

Initial allocation

You will require a ticket for all guests you wish to bring to your ceremony. Guests tickets cost £5 each, and you may bring a maximum of two guests over the age of 10. Tickets for guests under the age of 10 are free but must still be ordered. Tickets will be checked at the Cathedral so guests must keep hold of their ticket.

All guest tickets must be paid for by Tuesday 24 September 2024. You will receive an email with details of how to purchase your tickets following completion of the online graduation registration form.

Additional tickets

If there are any guest tickets remaining after this deadline, all graduates who have registered to attend will be notified by email about the availability of additional tickets, when they will be offered for sale and how to purchase them. Any additional tickets available will be sold on a first come, first served basis. There is no guarantee that there will be any additional tickets available and no additional tickets can be reserved in advance.

Arrangements can be made for students or guests with special requirements. Students are asked to notify us in advance of any special arrangements they or their guests require when they purchase their tickets.

Academic dress - Graduands must wear academic gowns provided by our recognised supplier for the ceremony. We are using the graduation services of Ede and Ravenscroft who provide a cost effective, high quality service that covers all the needs and requirements of graduation.

Arrangements are in place for you to order your gown from Ede and Ravenscroft online at www.gownhire.co.uk or by calling 01223 861854. Please note that on the ceremony details page of the website, when asked for the institution you should enter West Suffolk College.

We strongly recommend that you order your gown as soon as possible after receiving your email confirming that your details have been uploaded to the Ede and Ravenscroft gown order system, and at least two weeks before your graduation ceremony. You should receive your gown order email within three days of completing your graduation registration form in OASIS.

Photography - Ede and Ravenscroft Photography Ltd are the appointed official photographers for the ceremony. Their graduation portrait service will be available on the day in the Guildhall and can also be booked online when you order your gown.

NB Please inform us if you do not wish to be part of the official photographs that may be used for publicity purposes.

Registration and gowning will commence at 9:00am at The Guildhall and you are advised to arrive as early as possible to allow plenty of time for gowning and photographs etc. You must ensure that you are gowned by 11:00am at the latest.

On arrival at the Guildhall, graduates must register at the graduation registration desk located at the entrance of the building before collecting your gown and having any photographs taken. From the Guildhall you will need to make your way to the Cathedral. You and your guests should be seated in the Cathedral by 11:30am at the very latest. Graduates will be seated in designated pews. The ceremony takes approximately one hour to an hour and a half.

Following the ceremony in the Cathedral, a celebratory reception will take place which will include a glass of fizz in the Cloisters and grounds of the Cathedral, where you will be able to celebrate amongst your peers, loved ones and tutors. All gowns should then be returned to the designated point in the Cloisters at the Cathedral.

Certificates will be handed to graduates on the day once you have left the stage. If you have changed your name without notifying the University of Suffolk, or we appear to hold your name incorrectly, please indicate this when completing the online graduation registration form. It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that the details supplied to the University are correct.

If you do not attend the ceremony and have completed the graduation registration form in OASIS, your certificate will be posted to you.

Whether you choose to attend your ceremony or not, it is important that you complete your online graduation registration form so that we have a correct record of your name and the address where you can be contacted until the end of November 2024. If you are not attending and you do not complete the graduation registration form, you will not receive your certificate.

For graduates whose awards were conferred in April, certificates have already been posted to graduates who completed the graduation registration form in April. If you did not complete the form in April, please contact the Graduation Office to either confirm your address details so that arrangements can be made for your certificate to be posted to you if you do not wish to attend the graduation ceremony, or to register your interest in attending the graduation ceremony so that you can receive your certificate on the day.

Am I eligible to attend a graduation ceremony?

• You will only be able to register for the graduation ceremony once the Assessment Board has confirmed that you have successfully completed your award and if you have settled all outstanding tuition fee debts with the University of Suffolk.

Where and when is my graduation ceremony?

• St Edmundsbury Cathedral on Saturday 12 October 2024 at 12.00pm. You must ensure you have gowned and made your way to the Cathedral by 11.30am.

Is there anything I must do in preparation for my graduation?

• You must complete your graduation registration form in OASIS as soon as possible after receiving your invitation email and by noon on Tuesday 24 September 2024 at the latest
• You must keep us informed if you change your name and address
• You must hire (or purchase) your academic dress from Ede and Ravenscroft at www.gownhire.co.uk at least two weeks before the ceremony
• You must pay for your guest tickets online by Tuesday 24 September 2024 (details will be provided in your gown order and ticket purchase email following completion of the online graduation registration form)
• You must ensure that you have no outstanding tuition fee debts to the University of Suffolk

How many guests can I bring?

• You may bring a maximum of two guests. All guests will require a ticket. Additional tickets may become available; if this is the case you will be notified but this is not guaranteed.

What if I want to bring more than two guests?

• If there are any guest tickets remaining after the deadline to purchase tickets (Tuesday 24 September 2024), all graduates who have registered to attend will be sent an email regarding the availability of additional tickets, when they will be offered for sale and how to purchase them. If available, additional tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. There is no guarantee that there will be any additional tickets available and no additional tickets can be reserved in advance.

I am (or a member of my party is) disabled, what should I do?

• Please contact the Events Manager, Freya Lloyd via email (freya.llyod@easterneducationgroup.ac.uk) so that arrangements can be made in advance to help you or your guest.

How long will the ceremony last?

• The ceremony will last approximately an hour to an hour and a half.

When do I need to arrive at The Guildhall prior to the ceremony?

• You are asked to arrive at least an hour and a half before the ceremony to allow time to gown. This also allows plenty of time for photographs and to get to the Cathedral to be seated before the start of the ceremony.

What should I wear?

• You are asked to dress smartly, and all graduands must hire a gown from Ede and Ravenscroft to participate in the ceremony. 

I am not sure if I have any outstanding debts to the University of Suffolk, should I check?

• Yes. Any student with outstanding monies will be unable to attend their graduation ceremony and their certificate will be withheld. If you are in doubt, please check with the University of Suffolk Finance Office on 01473 338350.
• You should also check with the West Suffolk College Library on 01284 716267 to make sure that you have returned all your library books and paid any fines.