Graduation and celebration of success and achievement 2023/24

Who can attend

Once the exam boards confirm who is eligible to graduate, the UHI Student Records Office (SRO) then advise us of the names of the eligible students.

Once we have received this information, an email will be sent to the personal email address held on student records to all those eligible to attend our Graduation & Awards Ceremony, unless you have indicated on the awards and graduation form on UHI Records that you wish to graduate in absentia.

The email will be sent in late August, explaining how to register to attend. Our website, and social media sites, will be updated to advise when these have been sent. When this update is made, if you have not received the email, please contact orkneygraduation@uhi.ac.uk. Please remember to check your junk folder, first

Please remember that it is your responsibility to ensure that your contact information is kept up-to-date on your record.

Outstanding fees

If you have any outstanding debt you will not be eligible to attend the Graduation & Awards Ceremony. To attend, please settle any outstanding debts by contacting 01856 886459 or email salesinvoices@orkney.gov.uk immediately.

If these debts are settled less than 6 weeks before the ceremony, your name will not appear in our graduate lists or in the press or programme and we cannot guarantee that you will be able to attend the Graduation & Awards Ceremony.

Certificates

Regardless of whether or not you attend the Graduation & Awards Ceremony, the awarding body for your course will send your certificate directly to your home address. When you attend our Ceremony, you will receive a scroll tube to keep your certificate in. We are unable to provide scroll tubes to students who graduate in absentia.

If you have a query regarding your certificate, please contact the Student Records Office: sro@uhi.ac.uk

Guests

For information relating to guests, please see guest information below.

How to register

Tickets to attend both the Graduation & Awards Ceremony, and the reception afterwards, will be available to book through Eventbright. A link to the booking page, together with timings for booking, will be included in the invitation email sent by us to those eligible to attend.

You must book a ticket for yourself, and any guests you wish to attend, by the deadline otherwise you will not be able to attend.

All tickets must be ordered through Eventbright, by the graduand. Students must book a ticket for themselves to attend the Ceremony and, should you wish to attend the Reception, you must book a ticket for yourself to attend this also.

There is no cost to attend either the Ceremony or the reception however you must present your pre-booked Eventbright ticket, either in paper form or on your phone, on arrival at the venue.

Tickets

Normally, each student is guaranteed 2 guests. Guest tickets must be ordered by the graduand and should be ordered at the same time as ordering your own tickets. Separate tickets are required if your guests will be attending the reception. There is normally a maximum order level of 3 Reception tickets but remember, one of these tickets must be for the graduand.

Please note: UHI Orkney reserves the right to change the ticketing allocation, due to any unforeseen circumstances that would mean numbers would need to be limited. Students will be advised of any change to allocation when the registration links are sent out.

Contact Details

Remember, as we will be contacting you throughout the registration and ticketing process, it is important that you have made sure your contact details (address, mobile phone number and personal email address) are up to date in ‘Student Journey’ by 31 July.

Extra Tickets

Once the initial registration deadline has passed, if there is still space available at either the ceremony or the reception, we will email students to advise that additional tickets (maximum 2 per student) can be booked through Eventbright on a first come-first served basis.

We regret that it is not always possible for us to accommodate all requests for additional tickets, due to the maximum capacities of our venues.

What to do before the day

• Book tickets for yourself and your guest(s) to attend the ceremony, and reception if you wish to attend, before the deadline. We are unable to accommodate any students who have not booked tickets to attend the ceremony or reception.
• Order your academic gown and hood (HE only)
• If you or your guests have additional support needs, please contact orkneygraduation@uhi.ac.uk.

What happens on the day

Photography and gown collection

If you have hired a gown for the day (HE only) it can be collected from the UHI Orkney main campus building on East Road. Staff will be on hand to assist you.

A professional photographer will be available at our campus to take photographs prior to the ceremony.

Entry to the Cathedral

Students should enter the Cathedral through the door to the left at the main entrance and immediately register with the staff at the registration table. Any graduand who has not arrived at the Cathedral by the registration deadline is removed from the reading list so if you have not registered with staff on your arrival at the Cathedral, your name will not be called during the ceremony. A member of staff will then show you to your allocated seat. Please do not change seats with other graduands, the seating is in the specific order that you will be called to accept your award.

Guests should enter the Cathedral through the door to the right at the main entrance and register with the staff at the guest registration table then take their seats immediately as it can become congested at the entrance. Guest seating is at the front half of the main seating area and is on a first come, first served basis.

Graduands and guests are asked to arrive promptly. Guests and graduands should be seated by 12.45. If guests are not seated by the start of the Ceremony, then access to the Cathedral will only be granted after all the speeches have finished. Please do not take large bags into the cathedral. Bags may be checked before entry.

Please note: We are unable to accommodate any students who have not booked tickets to attend the ceremony or reception.

During the ceremony

Please remain in the Cathedral until the ceremony has concluded, unless instructed otherwise. Please place any personal belongings under your seat to ensure that they are not blocking the way for others. Please turn off your mobile phone.

During the ceremony, guests are asked to stay in their seats. Photography is allowed as long as it is done from the guest’s seat and does not obstruct the view of others. No flash photography.

UHI Orkney staff will be on hand to guide you through going up to receive your award. Please stay in the order you are placed. When your name is called, step up to the platform where you will shake hands and receive a presentation tube. Degree and postgraduate students should bow their head when receiving their award in order to be conferred (tapped on the head with the graduation cap).

After the Ceremony

Once the ceremony has finished, those who have booked tickets can join staff and invited guests for the drinks reception at the King Street Halls. Please remember to have your ticket ready to show staff on entry to the reception, either electronically or in hard copy.

You will be able to leave your hire gown at either the Cathedral or the Reception venue after the event or drop it off at UHI Orkney the following Monday. Name tags must be attached. The deadline for returning gowns to UHI Orkney is strictly 16.00 on the Monday immediately following the ceremony. After that time, students are responsible for arranging return of their gown to Ede & Ravenscroft.

Final timings will be confirmed for the upcoming annual ceremony closer to the date.

Guest Information

Guest Information

Inviting Guests

All guests, including children, must have a ticket before they can enter the cathedral or the drinks reception. Each graduand is entitled to two guest tickets, subject to any changes necessary due to restriction of numbers out with our control. Tickets must be ordered by the graduand when they order their own ticket.

We have no age restrictions for guests, however you should be mindful that Graduation ceremonies are formal academic occasions and can last for two hours, or more. If you are bringing younger guests to our ceremony, we may ask that your child be taken outside should they become restless. We would appreciate your co-operation in this matter.

Please note: There will be two pipers in the cathedral, and music performed by local artists. Please be aware that the bagpipes can be loud in an indoor space and potentially triggering due to their volume. The pipers will lead the procession around the student and guest seating area down the North Aisle, across the back of the seating area, up the South Aisle and across the front of the seating area at the beginning of the event.

Guest seating is at the front half of the main seating area and is on a first come, first served basis. Guest seating will be marked at the end of each row.

Special arrangements for guests

Where possible, we will make appropriate arrangement for guests with additional support needs. Please email orkneygraduation@uhi.ac.uk and we will contact you to discuss your requirements.

Gown Hire

Gowns are available to Higher Education students and can be hired through our official suppliers, Ede & Ravenscroft.

How to order:

• Enter the Institute name as UHI Orkney
• Select your award / degree from the list
• Confirm your selection
• Proceed to select your gown for hire and confirm all required details
• Proceed to checkout and make payment

Collection

You can collect your gown from UHI Orkney's main campus on East Road on the day of the ceremony, where staff will be on hand to assist you. Collection times are given in the order of ceremonies document located in this year’s event section. Please do not remove the name tag on your gown.

Where delivery times allow, gowns will be available for collection the day before the ceremony. This will be confirmed in this year’s event section.

Returns

There will be a designated area at both the cathedral and the reception for you to leave your hire gown immediately after the event, or you can drop it off at UHI Orkney on the Monday immediately after the event. Gowns should be returned to us with your name tag still attached.

The deadline for returning gowns is strictly 16:00 on the Monday immediately following the event. After this time students will assume responsibility for arranging return of their gown to Ede & Ravenscroft.

Dress Code

Our Graduation Ceremony is a formal event, so please be smartly dressed. This could be, for example, national dress, dark suit or trousers, dark skirt or dress, white shirt or blouse.

If you are hiring a gown, our supplier notes:

When dressed in the graduation attire your arm, from the elbow down, will be visible against the gown and you may therefore want to wear a jacket if you don’t want a shirt sleeve to show. Although most gowns and hoods now have Velcro, it’s still a good idea to wear something with a buttoned front as it will help the hood neckband sit better. The style and colour of your academic dress will depend on your institution. You will be shown this when you place your order and may wish to consider it when choosing your outfit.

Publicity

Graduation ceremonies are public celebrations of our students’ success. Our Graduation Privacy Notice explains how personal data will be processed for and during the event and provides guidance should you not wish your personal data to be processed in this way. This applies to all students who are invited to graduate or may be eligible for an award, whether they attend the ceremony or not. Please read this important information and ensure your invited guests are also aware of the information relevant to them.

Names and awards of graduates (including those graduating in absentia) are published in the press and in the graduation programme.

If you object to the publication of your personal data in the way described in the privacy notice, you need to let us know. Instructions on how to do this are given within the notice. For Higher Education students, if you are updating your choice after you have completed the awards and guidance form on UHI Records please also email orkneygraduation@uhi.ac.uk no later than 3 weeks prior to the ceremony. For Further Education, HNC/D, PDA, SVQ4 and CPD students, please email orkneygraduation@uhi.ac.uk no later than 3 weeks prior to the ceremony.

UHI Orkney staff will be taking photographs and video footage at the event and reception, which may include graduates and guests, for promotional purposes. An official photographer will also be present.

Photographs will be taken of each student as they are presented with their scroll tube or special award at the platform by our official photographer. These will not be used for any media purposes by UHI Orkney but will be available to purchase from Orkney Photographic and may be published on their website for this purpose. If you do not wish your photograph to appear on their website, contact details can be found on the Orkney Photographic website.

Additional Support / Access Arrangements

We are happy to make appropriate arrangements for any Graduand with additional support needs, and where possible, we will also make appropriate arrangements for guests with additional support needs. If you or any of your guests require additional support, special seating or access arrangements please contact orkneygraduation@uhi.ac.uk

Music

There will two pipers in the cathedral, and music performed by local artists. Please be aware that the bagpipes can be loud in an indoor space and potentially triggering due to their volume.