FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
Questions:
- About the Awards Ceremonies - before you register
- Registering for the Awards Ceremonies
- Early Bird Draw
- On The Day
- Robes, Photography and Dress Code
- Award Ceremonies contact details
About the Awards Ceremonies:
- When will I receive my Awards Ceremonies invitation?
Invitations to prospective graduates will be emailed to your University (@Arts.ac.uk) email address in March. For those students who have completed their courses since the 2012 ceremonies however, a postcard invitation will be sent to your permanent home address (in addition to an invitation sent to external e-mail addresses). In all cases, you need to use the online registration form found on the Awards Ceremony website. Once you have registered, you will receive confirmation of your booking by e-mail
- Should I wait for my results before I apply for the Awards Ceremonies?
No. You should register as soon as possible and no later than Friday 10th May to avoid being charged a late registration fee of £60. Before this date, you will only need to pay for guest tickets. If you are undecided about whether to come, it is better to register and withdraw at a later stage if necessary. Any registration submitted after Friday 7th June may not be accepted so it is important that you do not wait.
- What happens if I don't successfully complete my course?
You'll be sent a letter from your School Office containing information on any next steps you should take regarding resubmitting your work. Provided you successfully complete your course in the next academic year you will be invited to the 2014 Awards Ceremonies. You will also be given a full refund of any guest ticket payments you have made.
- Am I eligible to attend the ceremony?
If you have received confirmation from your college that you have achieved your degree then, providing you have no outstanding debts to the University (including library fines), you will be eligible to attend your ceremony. You will be eligible to attend Graduation if you successfully completed a Higher Education Course since July 2012. These include PhD; MPhil; MA; Pg Dip; Grad Dip and Grad Cert; BA (Hons) / BSc (Hons); FdA / FdSc and Cert HE. Please note that students must register in order to attend their Ceremony.
- What if I owe money to the University?
You cannot attend the Awards Ceremonies whilst in debt to the University. These debts can consist of unpaid fees for tuition or accommodation, library fines or any unreturned equipment and books. So please make sure that you quickly clear any outstanding debts by contacting your college office. They'll help you sort everything out.
- How do I get my certificate if I'm not attending my ceremony?
Your certificate will be sent to the “end of academic year” address that you nominated using the Student Contact Management System (this must be done by Friday 12th July 2013). If an address has not been nominated, it will be sent to your permanent address (by Recorded Delivery).
- Where and when is my Graduation?
There are different dates and times for each College and Faculty - click the link to be taken to the Dates, Times and Location of the Awards Ceremonies.
Registering for the Awards Ceremonies:
- Why do I need to register?
If you do not register for the Awards Ceremonies we cannot plan for your attendance and make sure your guests will be seated.
- My friend is attending a different ceremony - can I go to that one instead?
This will not be possible.
- How do I buy guest tickets for my ceremony?
You can apply for guest tickets on the registration form. These will be available for collection on the day of your ceremony.
- Do I have to pay for my ticket?
As long as you register by Friday 10th May 2013 graduate tickets are free of charge. After this date you will be charged a late fee.
- How much do guest tickets cost?
The charge of £28 (including VAT) for each guest ticket helps to pay for the cost of the ceremony. We do our best to keep costs, and therefore ticket prices as low as possible. The tickets include a complimentary programme, tea / coffee and cake.
- How many guests tickets can I buy?
Due to variations in the number of students at the Colleges and Faculties the number of guest tickets you can purchase varies for each day of ceremonies. Provided you purchase the maximum amount of guaranteed tickets you can then apply for additional tickets. Please note the additional tickets are not guaranteed and are allocated on a first-come first-served basis. Confirmation of your ticket allocation, including any additional tickets you have been allocated will be emailed to you after the 5th July 2013. Additional tickets will need to be paid for (cash only) on the day of your ceremony.
- Can children attend the ceremony?
Yes, however it may last up to two hours, and therefore we do not recommend bringing babies or small children to the ceremony, and there are no ticket reduction on children occupying seats. When registering please tell us if you are bringing children so we can try to provide aisle seating should you need to go out during the ceremony. Children cannot sit with graduates, they must sit with the guests. There are no crèche facilities available at the venue.
- What do I do if I or my party are disabled or have any special requirement?
When you register please provide details of any special requirements - such as wheelchair access. If we don't know your requirements well in advance, we cannot guarantee that we'll be able to accommodate them on the day. Within the hall, there are ample lifts to all areas of the building and an infra-red hearing system operates. Marshals will be available to assist you on the day. View access information for the Royal Festival Hall.
- When do I need to register by?
There are a number of deadlines you need to keep to, you may still register after the deadlines but you will be subject to a late fee:
Registration Deadlines
- Friday 10th May 2013 - the first deadline that we require all registrations forms to be submitted by. Registrations after this date will be subject to a £60 late fee.
- Friday 7th June 2013 - the final deadline for registrations. After this stage, we cannot guarantee any registration will be accepted, and any that are will be subject to a £90 late fee.
- What is my student ID number?
This can be found on your Student Card, and is the first three letters of your surname followed by eight numbers.
- I can't complete the registration form!?
Please make sure you are using a PC (using the latest version of either Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox) or an Apple (using the latest version of Safari)
- I applied for my graduate ticket but can't attend / my plans have changed. What should I do?
If you decide not to or realise you cannot attend your ceremony after you have registered please let us know as soon as possible via:
- Camberwell, Chelsea or Wimbledon, please contact ccwgraduation@arts.ac.uk
- Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design (including Drama Centre and the London Studio Centre), please contact csmgraduation@arts.ac.uk
- London College of Fashion or CLTAD, please contact lcfgraduation@arts.ac.uk
- London College of Communication, please contact lccgraduation@arts.ac.uk
After Friday 7th June 2013 we regret that cancellations will not be refunded.
- I failed my course - can I get a refund?
Students who are unsuccessful will be refunded the full costs of tickets over the Summer period.
- How and when will I receive my tickets?
All tickets for the ceremonies are collected on the day of your ceremony - we do not post tickets. You will be sent a Ticket Confirmation email approximately 7-10 days before your ceremony. You will need to print this email out and present it to a member of the Awards Team on the day in order to get your tickets. This email will also confirm if you have been allocated the additional tickets that you requested when registering.
- I need a visa letter to attend the Awards Ceremonies - how do I apply for one?
You will need to register to attend your Ceremony first of all, and then contact Student Services for further advice, but only after you have received your confirmation of registration e-mail.
Early Bird Draw:
- How can I enter and what are the prizes?
Registrations received 17.00 on Monday 15th April 2013 will be entered in a prize draw. Three prizes will be offered for each Ceremony – a Private Box at Royal Festival Hall, academic robe hire and graduation photography. Please see Terms and Conditions for full details. Prize winners will be contacted directly by the Awards Ceremony Team.
On The Day:
How do I get to the Royal Festival Hall?
- Please visit the Royal Festival Hall's visitor info page for information on travelling to the venue. We advise that you use regularly check the Transport For London website for updates on travel issues.
- When should I arrive?
Registration and robe collection will close 45 minutes before the ceremony starts. To allow enough time to collect your tickets and robe, and should you wish, have an official graduation picture taken - we suggest you arrive at least one and a half hours before your ceremony is due to start.
- What happens if I get there late?
If you arrive late, are unrobed or sit in the wrong seat we cannot guarantee that you will be admitted into the auditorium or that you can cross the stage with the other graduates from your course. If the 'presentation of awards' part of your ceremony has finished, you will not be able to cross the stage.
- How long does the ceremony last?
Approximately between one and a half to two hours, but times do vary.
- Where will I and my guests be seated?
Graduates and their guests will not be seated together. Graduates will be seated in the front stalls (your ticket will have a seat number which is your allocated seat) and your guests will be seated behind the graduates and in the balconies. Ushers will show you to your seats.
- What happens during the ceremony?
All guests and graduates are seated in the hall at the start of the ceremony. Ushers will direct you from your seat out of the auditorium and onto the stage. You will each have a name card which you must hand to the member of staff on the rostrum. Graduates are presented individually by name and will progress alphabetically by surname within their course. When your name is announced you walk to the centre of the stage to shake hands with the Vice-Chancellor or his representative. You then cross to the exit at the far side of the stage and you will be ushered back to a seat in the hall, which might not be the same one you had before. For this reason you must leave your belongings with your guests.
- Will my classification be read out?
No, and it will not be printed in the programme.
- What should my name card say?
Your name card should have your full legal name printed on it.
- What happens after the ceremony?
After the ceremony itself, you will be directed out of the hall where light refreshments will be served. Graduates have a chance to collect their certificate from the certificate collection point. They must bring a valid form of photo ID (Drivers License, Passport, Student ID card) in order to be able to collect their certificate - without ID we cannot give out certificates. There is also an opportunity to purchase DVD's of the ceremony or have graduation photographs taken.
- Will I be sent any more information about my ceremony?
When you submit your online registration, you will be sent an e-mail to confirm that your order has been received, and then another within the next few days when it has been processed. On the registration form you are also asked to confirm an external (non-UAL) email address which we use to email you your ticket confirmation order approximately 7-10 days before your Ceremony. You will need to print this out and present it to a member of the Awards team on the day in order to collect your tickets.
In addition to this you can sign up to the UAL 2013 Awards Ceremonies Facebook Page where regular updates and information will be posted.
Robes, Photography and Dress Code:
- What should I and my guests wear?
The Awards Ceremonies are friendly rather than formal but, as it's a special occasion, most people, including guests go smartly dressed. From a practical point of view, it's best if graduates wear a shirt or blouse so that the hood of your robe can be fastened on a button. Alternatively, bring a safety pin. You may also wish to bring some hair clips to ensure your hat fits well. - Personal belongings should be left with your guests as they cannot be taken into the hall. All graduating students must be wearing official UAL robes in order to cross the stage. Ede & Ravenscroft supply the gowns for our ceremonies, please book your gown on their website.
- Where and when can I get my gown?
Book your gown before the 23rd June from Ede & Ravenscroft. You will be sent a email confirming your gown hire which includes your gown reference number. You will need to print out and present this email to the Ede & Ravenscroft staff at the ceremony in order to collect your gown.
- Which robe do I order?
Please see the Awards Ceremony website for more information on which specific robe to order.
- If I can't go to the ceremony, can I get a refund on my gown?
You may cancel your robe up to 7 working days before your awards ceremony for a refund, however you must contact Ede & Ravenscroft for more information.
- Can I buy photographs on the day?
There will be opportunities to have your photograph taken, purchase a DVD of the ceremony, and buy University and other merchandise.
Awards Ceremonies Contact Details:
- My question has not been answered by the FAQs, what can I do?
Contact the awards team
If you are due to graduate from Camberwell, Chelsea or Wimbledon, please contact:
+44 (0)207 514 9355
If you are due to graduate from Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design (including Drama Centre and the London Studio Centre), please contact:
+44 (0)207 514 9355 / 6120
If you are due to graduate from London College of Fashion or CLTAD, please contact:
+44 (0)207 514 6213
If you are due to graduate from London College of Communication, please contact:
+44 (0)207 514 6120
By Post:
Awards Ceremony
Academic Registry
University of the Arts London
272 High Holborn
London
WC1V 7EY