What to Expect: Before, During and After Your Graduation Ceremony [4 Min Read]

Convocation is an important day in your life because it symbolizes many things, like the end of one journey and the beginning of another, the conclusion of your time with CBU and all of the obstacles you’ve overcome to get to this point. But, there’s still plenty to do leading up to the big day and during your ceremony, so buckle up and read on!

Your Responsibilities Before the Ceremony

• Make Sure You’re Settled Up – To put this in simpler terms, ensure all of your tuition and fees are paid in full. You will not be eligible to graduate if you haven’t made your payments. Need some help finding out if you’re all set? Luckily for you, all of this info is available through your Compass Student Account under ‘Student Finance’ which is conveniently placed right on the homepage. 

• Review the Potential Grad List –  An important first step is making sure you’re actually on the Potential Grad List. Yes, this should probably go without saying, but to be safe, we’re reminding you here. Check through the list, make sure your name is on it and report any errors to convocation@cbu.ca. Keep in mind that if you have been conditionally approved to graduate but have a final grade pending, your name will not be shown on the Final Graduand List, so don’t panic.

• Make Note of Your Graduate ID Number – Your Graduate ID Number is essentially your ticket or key to convocation, so make sure you have it written down somewhere. You can find this number to the left of your name on the Potential Grad List. You’ll need it to know which ceremony you will be attending and you can confirm the date and time by referencing the schedule found at CBU.ca/convocation.   

• Arrive Early, Not Just Early, But Early – Oh yeah, we mean E A R L Y. 90 minutes before your ceremony, to be exact. Once you get there, you will need your Graduate ID Number to secure your gown/regalia and lanyard, which you’ll wear for the ceremony. 

• Attend the Correct Ceremony – Folks, we can’t stress this enough. You MUST attend the correct ceremony in order to graduate. You CANNOT, under any circumstances, graduate at any other ceremony and no exceptions will be made to this rule. Unfortunately, if you miss your proper ceremony, then you’ll need to get in touch with the Registrar’s Office to have your parchment mailed to you. 

• Tell Your Guests to Arrive Early – For the first time in a few years, convocation will not be held at Centre 200 in downtown Sydney. Instead, each of the ceremonies will be held at the newly renovated Canada Games Complex. This year, tickets will not be required for guests to attend, but seating is limited. So, please encourage your guests to arrive early if they want to guarantee themselves a seat.

Your Responsibilities During the Ceremony

This section is going to be pretty simple and straightforward because all you really have to do is nothing. That’s right, nothing. Well, you might want to get in line and cross the stage when it’s your turn, but beyond that, all you need to do is be quiet, be respectful, be present and don’t leave after your turn on stage. 

The first few are pretty self-explanatory. Be quiet so you’re not interrupting and everyone around you can hear. Be respectful of those speaking, performing and seated around you. Be present, as in, enjoy the moment. Don’t be on your phone the entire time, don’t fall asleep, be mindful of when it is your program being called up and your turn to cross the stage.

The last one is a bit of a sensitive topic, but to make a long story short, over the last few years we have had trouble with students and their families leaving after they’ve crossed the stage. Not only is this disrespectful to those still waiting to graduate, but it’s disruptive to everyone in the arena. 

You might be wondering “why should I have to stay after my part is done?”. The best answer we can possibly give is this: what if it was you who had the last name that started with T, U, V, W, X, Y or Z? Wouldn’t you want to cross the stage with a full crowd still seated in place? With your peers smiling up at you? Getting the same experience earlier grads got to have?

So, once again, we kindly ask that you return to your seat after you’ve crossed the stage, ask that your guests remain seated so as to not disrupt everyone around them and enjoy the rest of the ceremony. 

Your Responsibilities After the Ceremony

Alright, you did your pre-arrival checklist, you arrived (on time and to the right ceremony), you sat and waited your turn before returning to your seat and waiting politely for everyone else to have their turn, all of the speeches and musical numbers are done, so now what? Easy, enjoy yourself! 

Parchments will be available for pick up in the Yvonne LeVert Hospitality Suite (Multipurpose Room) for two hours following every ceremony. 

And lastly, we want to remind you to drop your gown and regalia back off to the Yvonne LeVert Hospitality Suite (Multipurpose Room) before you leave, so you can avoid any financial penalties and academic holds. 

Oh, and by the way, congrats! You made it!