On the day

Graduation 2020: Coronavirus

Regrettably, due to the pandemic, graduation 2020 had to be postponed. We have consulted with students about how they would like to celebrate their graduation and the clear preference was for a physical ceremony. We are therefore holding an event for the 2020 cohort at the same time as the 2021 group. Please ignore all original deadlines set for Graduation in July 2020 as they no longer apply.

Key information

If you have already ordered your gown, please do not cancel them until we know if we can transfer the booking across to a new date.

If you haven't ordered your gown yet, the booking system is now not taking bookings until we know when we can proceed.
Degree certificates have been posted to your registered home address (not your term-time address). Please get in touch with spa@falmouth.ac.uk if you have any questions about this.
In recognition of their achievements and to mark the moment, we have also created a Class of 2020 commemorative book which all graduates received.

We will communicate information about the 2021 ceremony nearer the time.

We want you to enjoy your day so do make sure you’ve covered everything.

Have you:

Checked your ceremony date and time?
Cleared any outstanding debt with the university?
Completed your online registration and bought your guest tickets?
Hired your graduation robes?
Let us know if you or your guests have any special requirements? You can do this when you register or get in touch with us.

What you need to do

Register and collect your tickets and guest tickets.
Collect your robe, and join your family in the pre-ceremony area.
Your portrait photograph can be taken at any point during the day.
You will be able to purchase food and refreshments.
Ceremony hall doors open one hour before, and close 15 minutes before the ceremony starts.

The Platform party process in at the beginning to start the proceedings.
There is an opening speech by the Vice Chancellor.
The conferral of the degrees takes place – you will be prompted by staff what to do and when.
There is a speech by the Chancellor, Dawn French.
The Closing speech is made by the Chair of the Board of Governors.
The Platform party processes out followed by the graduates.
You process down to the front of Tremough House for the group photo to be taken.

Group photo taken with your cohort, Director, Head of Subject, and the Chancellor, Dawn French.
Time to celebrate with your friends and family in the Italian gardens.
Celebratory refreshments and food can be purchased here.

Graduation how-to: The ceremony

Timings

To find out when your ceremony will be taking place please check the ceremony schedule on the Graduation 2020 page. There will be staff around to guide you through the day from arrival to the reception.

Times on the day

Morning ceremony

08.00 Registration opens, gown collection and photographers available
09.00 Doors open for guests of the morning ceremony
09.45 Please make sure you’ve taken your seat! Ceremony Doors close
10.00 Ceremony starts
11.00 Ceremony ends
11.00 Post-ceremony reception for graduates and their guests for the morning ceremony

Lunchtime ceremony

11.00 Registration opens, gown collection and photographers available
12.00 Doors open for guests of the lunchtime ceremony
12.45 Please make sure you’ve taken your seat! Ceremony Doors close
13.00 Ceremony starts
14.00 Ceremony ends
14.00 Post-ceremony reception for graduates and their guests for the lunchtime ceremony

Afternoon ceremony

14.00 Registration opens, gown collection and photographers available
15.00 Doors open for guests of the afternoon ceremony
15.45 Please make sure you’ve taken your seat! Ceremony Doors close
16.00 Ceremony starts
17.00 Ceremony ends
17.00 Post-ceremony reception for graduates and their guests for the afternoon ceremony

Pre-ceremony

When you arrive on campus make your way to Registration, on the top floor of the Exchange, to collect your guest tickets, collect your gown, and have your professional photographs taken (if you have chosen to have them).

Registration opens two hours before each ceremony. We recommend arriving two hours prior to your ceremony start, so please leave enough time to arrive, register, collect your guest tickets and pick up your gown.

Photographic portraits can be taken before or after your ceremony.

There will be food vans offering a wide variety of refreshments and food in The Heart Space.

Ceremony

Ceremonies are approximately one hour long. Late arrivals will not be admitted to the hall, so please make sure you are seated in plenty of time.

Doors for guests will open one hour before the ceremony, and will close 15 minutes before the ceremony.

The guest seating area is in a separate part of the hall from the graduates’ seating area, but everyone will be seated by ceremony staff.

Students are allocated by course, alphabetically by surname, and students will be prompted by the ceremony hall staff for the conferral part of the area.

For security and space reasons, luggage or other large personal items should not be brought to the ceremony hall. Items can be left with registration.

Guests are allowed to take photographs without flash, and use a video camera without an additional light source inside the hall.

If guests leave the hall during the ceremony they may not be able to return, as it may be disruptive to the ceremony.

Chancellor, Dawn French, sat in the centre of the 2018 graduates having their photo taken.

Post ceremony

After the ceremony you can meet your family, friends and lecturers in the Italian gardens, this part of the day lasts for about an hour.

There will be the opportunity to purchase a celebratory drink from the bar, and small bites to eat in the marquee.

Venue and live streaming

The ceremony will be live-streamed to venues on campus, and additional guests are free to join the post-ceremony reception. In addition, the ceremony film is posted on to the University website within days. Event staff will direct you to the venue on campus.

The ceremony will also be live-streamed online through the website graduation pages.

Registration	The Exchange
Robing	Exchange Seminar Yellow
Pre-Ceremony	The Heart Space
Photography	Exchange Seminar Blue
The Ceremony	The Sports Hall
Post Ceremony	The Italian Gardens
Live streaming	The Chapel Lecture Theatre The Stannary Bar

View of photographer taking group photograph of 2019 graduates in gowns and hats

Professional photography

Photographic options

Official photography

Professional photographs are taken in a studio style, and parents and family can be present too.
During graduation you will find photographers in the ceremony hall, taking a photograph of the moment you shake hands with the Chancellor Dawn French.
After graduation there will be a group photograph with your department, Heads of Subject, Director of the academic department and the Chancellor.

You can see the options available via Tempest Photography. There are a number of package options you can purchase.

There will also be 'Magic Mirror' photo booths in the pre-ceremony area, where you can have fun with your friends and family, and have the photographs free of charge, and uploaded to Instagram.