Graduation

How it works

If you have confirmed you are joining us for your online graduation ceremony, we very much look forward to celebrating with you. Here is a summary of what you will need to do to join.

Before the day of your ceremony

• Please make sure you have the Zoom app installed on your device
• Click the Zoom link provided in the email we have sent to you to register.
• Use the same email address that you have used to communicate with the university for this purpose. It is important that this is done no later than 24 hours prior to your ceremony start time.
• The joining email for your ceremony will come directly from Zoom – please check your spam or junk folders, just in case, as it can often end up here. Within this email you will find your unique password that you will need to use to enter the ceremony on the day.

On the day of your ceremony

• Please join the ceremony 30 minutes prior to the start time to ensure your correct position in the ceremony and no later than 15 minutes prior to the ceremony starting. Late comers may not be admitted.
• Click on the link provided in the joining email sent to you by Zoom.
• Enter the unique password which can be found in the email you will have received when registering with Zoom in order to enter the ceremony.
• Make sure your Zoom name is your full name, that you used to register for the ceremony with.
• Make sure you are able to join the call with camera and audio so we can see and hear you celebrate.
• If your connection drops out at any point don't worry, you will just need to click your personalised link again to re-join the ceremony. If you experience any technical issues you can email webcasting@iamagraduate.com this address will be monitored throughout the ceremony.
• Congratulations! This is a celebration, so please do congratulate everyone on their achievements and be sure to celebrate after names are read out by clapping and cheering.

Monday

Morning 8 February

Brighton Business School
10:30am
Watch on YouTube

Brighton Business School
12:30pm
Watch on YouTube

Afternoon 8 February

Brighton Business School
School of Humanities
2:30pm
Watch on YouTube

School of Humanities
4:30pm
Watch on YouTube

Tuesday

Morning 9 February

School of Health Sciences
10:30am
Watch on YouTube

School of Health Sciences
12:30pm
Watch on YouTube

Afternoon 9 February

School of Health Sciences
Plumpton College
2:30pm
Watch on YouTube

School of Media
Brighton Film College
4:30pm
Watch on YouTube

Wednesday

Morning 10 February

School of Education
10:30am
Watch on YouTube

School of Education
Learning and Teaching hub
12:30pm
Watch on YouTube

Afternoon 10 February

School of Sport and Service Management
2:30pm
Watch on YouTube

School of Sport and Service Management
East Sussex College Group
4:30pm
Watch on YouTube

School of Education
6:30pm
Watch on YouTube

Thursday

Morning 11 February

School of Applied Social Sciences
10:30am
Watch on YouTube

School of Applied Social Sciences
School of Environment and Technology
12:30pm
Watch on YouTube

Afternoon 11 February

School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
2:30pm
Watch on YouTube

School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Brighton and Sussex Medical School
4:30pm
Watch on YouTube

Friday

Morning 12 February

School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics
10:30am
Watch on YouTube

School of Architecture and Design
12:30pm
Watch on YouTube

Afternoon 12 February

School of Art
2:30pm
Watch on YouTube

School of Art
University for the Creative Arts
4:30pm
Watch on YouTube

What happens on the day

We are holding four online graduation ceremonies each day from Monday 8 – Friday 12 February 2021. We have already allocated you to a date and time and we are afraid that it will not be possible for you to join a different event.

You will be sent joining instructions towards the end of January, please be ready to join the online ceremony 15 minutes before they are due to commence.

Recipients will be called in blocks to appear on screen as their names are called so please be prepared to enter the correct waiting area when you are called by one of our online stewards. We are currently finalising the details of these arrangements, so more precise Instructions will be sent to you at the end of January.

What happens if I sign in late?

We ask that join the event in good time, as we cannot delay the start. Those joining late may not be able to have their names called or participate in the event.

Conduct

We hope these events will be a wonderful celebration to be enjoyed by recipients and their guests. Aggressive or abusive behaviour is unacceptable and anyone behaving in this way will be asked to leave.

What If I have registered but cannot attend?

If you cannot attend, please let the team In Academic Services know as soon as you are able by emailing ceremonyadmin@brighton.ac.uk. This will enable us to correctly order the event so names are called in the correct order, although it may not be possible to stop your name being called.

Guests

Guests will be able to view the events live on YouTube and Facebook, the events will then be accessible on the same channels for a period of three months after the live dates.

What will it look like

It can be hard to imagine what an online graduation ceremony will be like. We hope that this mock-up of an online ceremony gives you an idea of what it will look like for guests viewing via YouTube and Facebook Live.

Details of your online award ceremony will be sent to you prior to the event.

Responding

When will I receive my ceremony invitation?

When will I receive my online graduation ceremony invitation?
Invitations to the online ceremony will be sent during November and December.

If you have not received your invitation by 18 December please contact Ceremony Administration ceremony@brighton.ac.uk.

When do I need to act by?

Please log on to confirm whether you are attending by 20 January 2021. We regret that if you do not respond by this date it will not be possible to include you in the online ceremony. This is due to complex technical and logistical factors.

If you receive a late invitation, please log in as soon as possible.

Which address should I give?

You must include a forwarding address and telephone number. It is particularly important to complete this section as we use this the address to despatch your certificate.

Certificates are not sent to those who have not confirmed their addresses.

Your name

Why do I need confirmation of my name?

It is important that your full name is shown, when you confirm your details online, exactly as you wish it to appear on your certificate (initials and shortened forms of names cannot appear on the certificate and accents cannot be guaranteed).

If you fail to notify Academic Services of your correct name, you will be charged for a replacement certificate. If you have changed your name, you will be asked to supply a copy of official documentation confirming this.

What is my calling name?

This is the name that will be called as your award is presented at the online graduation ceremony. We will only call your first name and surname, so please check this is correct.

Please do not confuse this with your full formal name which must appear on your certificate.

What to wear

Do I need to wear academic dress?

For the online ceremony the university believes that academic dress should be optional for all attendees.

How do I order a hat and gown?

Our approved supplier of academic dress is the Graduate Gowning Company (GGC). In an in-person ceremony you would order your gowns in advance and then collect them on the day so we have made an arrangement with GGC that, should you choose to, you can have your graduation gowns shipped to you at no extra cost (including the return postage) over the normal hire fee, just go to the GGC website to rent your hat and gown (from 14 December).

You can also arrange to purchase your hat for £15 including postage.

Pre-orders for gowning will open on 14 December 2020 and close 27 January 2021.

Gown orders for the spring graduation photography event will be made available in the new year.

To make your order you will need to have the following details ready:

• student number
• date and time of your event
• your height
• your hat size (circumference of head just above your ears).

If you have any issues with the online process, please contact the GGC office on 01736 751855 for assistance.

Can I hire or buy my gown?

You can hire or purchase items – some recipients may wish to purchase one item and hire others. Please ensure that you have clearly indicated your preferences when ordering.

It is important that recipients who choose to use the Graduate Gowning Company's facilities and are eligible to wear a hood should do so, as this is unique to the University of Brighton and denotes the level of your award.

University gowns 

BSMS gowns 

Price lists

You can hire or purchase items. Some recipients may wish to purchase one item and hire others. Please ensure that you have clearly indicated your preferences when ordering.

Prices refer to winter 2021 online ceremonies and may be adjusted for future events.

Individual items can be hired but please enquire with GGC directly in relation to specific requirements.

Certificates

Your certificate will be sent out to you by recorded delivery in the weeks following the online ceremony, to your confirmed address (you will need to confirm your address when replying to your invite online). If you move house shortly before the online ceremony, please get in touch with your new details.

Graduates who have an outstanding debt will not receive their certificate until such time as their debt has been cleared.

Please note that the university will only hold uncollected certificates for five years, after which the original will be destroyed and you will have to pay for a replacement.

If you do not receive your certificate within six weeks of your ceremony date, please email us on awards@brighton.ac.uk.

Your certificate is a legal document and as such, the loss or destruction of one is a serious matter. The university will provide duplicates at its discretion and in accordance with the university policy.

Replacement certificates

Find out more about replacement certificates, transcripts and other verification services.

Photography 

We are aware that many graduates and their families often treasure the formal portrait photographs taken at their ceremonies.

We are looking at ways that we can fulfil this experience under any future restrictions. We are currently planning to hold a photography event in Brighton sometime closer to Easter. We are also talking to other universities elsewhere in the country to see if we may be able to offer a similar experience at other university locations elsewhere in the UK.

The timing and location of these arrangements (including the number of guests that could be photographed with you) will be highly dependent on government guidance and restrictions at that time and location. We will update this website with arrangements as soon as we are able, but final provisions may not be able to be announced until shortly before they are implemented.

You will need to pre-booking a slot in order that we can follow the government guidelines of that time. You are under no obligation to purchase the photographs that are taken. You will be supplied with an instant proof of your images, from which you can make your selection and place your order. Orders can be placed at the sales desk by credit or debit card on the day or at a later date by telephone or online.

Although you cannot pre-order photographic packages prior to the online graduation ceremonies themselves, you can view the Tempest Graduations website for examples of prices and packages, along with terms and conditions.

Accessibility

What should I do if I (or my guests) have a disability or other special requirements?

We are working to make our online graduation ceremonies as accessible as possible for those with both hearing and sight impairments and hope the viewing options will make the events accessible to those whose care or employment commitments make it difficult to attend at the times of the live celebrations.

If you and/or your guests have additional needs which may require special access arrangements for the photography events, please let us know by emailing the Ceremony Admin team so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Gifts and mementoes

Our official university suppliers of memorabilia are operating online offering a range of items from teddies to mugs, and even face masks. Nearer to the online graduation ceremonies you will also be able to purchase “Class of 2020” t-shirts and hoodies listing the names of you and all your fellow graduates from this academic year.

Please place your orders with the friendly team at Campus Clothing.

Social media

You can follow graduation across social media and take part by tagging your photographs with #brightonforever and @uniofbrighton to share your best moments with us.

The university will be active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter - take a moment to follow our accounts and those of the Alumni Association on @brightonalumni.

Student support package 

Are you eligible to attend a virtual celebration in February but are concerned about the cost of the photography event?

We are able to offer support to 40 graduands for the spring graduation photography events with free gown and cap hire mentioned above plus a free basic photography package.

Priority will be given to those who have one or more of these characteristics:

• care leavers
• estranged students
• students in receipt of a Student Support Fund in their final academic year 2019–20
• students in receipt of DWP benefits.

Please email Helen Abrahams, Student Advice Manager on h.l.abrahams@brighton.ac.uk if you wish to be considered for this. Please explain your circumstances when applying and supply your student number and full contact details.

Applications close on 20 January 2021.

Thank you to tempest-graduations.co.uk for this generous offer.

If you are experiencing financial difficulties or you have questions about student finance or bank accounts after graduation, please contact Student Advice.

Final year Home students can also apply to the Student Support Fund whilst they continue to be enrolled on a course.

Q and A

Terms and conditions

By confirming your attendance and purchasing guest tickets you also agree to our terms and conditions (pdf file).

Ceremony Administration

If you have any questions please contact Ceremony Administration in the Academic Services department

• email: ceremony@brighton.ac.uk

You will need to quote your reference number which is given at the top of your invitation email.

The address for all correspondence is:

Ceremony Administration
Academic Services
University of Brighton
Watts Building
Lewes Road
Brighton
BN2 4GJ

Clothing, photography and downloads

Campus Clothing
(clothing with graduates' names on)
Tel: 0333 3403474
www.campusclothing.com

Graduate Gowning Company
Tel: 01736 751855
Email: info@graduategowning.co.uk
www.graduategowning.co.uk

Tempest Graduation Photography
Tel: 0800 0121466
Fax: 01736 751463
www.tempest-graduations.co.uk

Downloads
For access to video downloads, please contact alumni@brighton.ac.uk