GRADUATION INFORMATION

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• Collection of Certificates

  If, for one reason or another, you are not able to attend the graduation ceremony, your graduation certificate will be posted to your postal address given in our records. It is thus extremely important to ensure that your address is correct.
  
  In the case where graduation certificates have been withheld on account of outstanding matriculation exemption/fees/library books, collection of graduation certificates from the Student Records Office (which is a University-wide office located at the Westville Campus) is subject to receipt of proof of the required documentation, outstanding fees having been fully settled, and/or library book(s) returned.
  
  All students graduating in Pietermaritzburg will have until 26 April 2012 to collect their graduation certificates from Pietermaritzburg Campus, after which these will be sent to the Student Records Office in Westville for posting. The Student Academic Administration Office (situated in Milner Road, Pietermaritzburg Campus) will handle the issuance of such certificates.
  
  Graduation certificates may be collected during the following times: 08:00 – 13:00 and 14:00 – 16:00 (weekdays)
  

• Guests’ Tickets and Seating Cards

  Unreserved seats are available for guests. Due to limited seating-space inside the graduation hall, only 4 guests per graduand/diplomate may attend the ceremony. Your seat card and guest tickets will be available for collection at the venue, from two hours prior to the commencement of graduation ceremony. The seat card will also be used as a receipt for your degree certificate; please sign it and have it ready for the collection of your certificate. Children under the age of twelve years will not be admitted. You and your guest(s) must be seated at least twenty minutes prior to the commencement of the graduation ceremony.

• Parking Facilities

  Should you have disabled guests kindly arrange with the security officers on duty to allow you to drive into the drop-off area to drop off such guests. You must then drive out of this area immediately to make way for other motorists and park in areas allocated for this purpose.

   

• Order of Proceedings and Protocols

  1. The Chancellor will constitute the congregation.
  2. Welcome Address.
  3. Presentation of graduands and diplomates.
  4. The Chancellor will dissolve the congregation.
  5. The procession leaves the stage, followed by the graduates and
     diplomates.
  6. Guests leave the venue.

  Graduation is a formal occasion at which many courtesies and traditions are observed and it has its own terminology. Graduands are those who are about to have a degree conferred on them, after which they are called graduates. Diplomates are those who are about to be, or have been, awarded a diploma.
  
  Courtesy includes graduands, diplomates and their guests all being seated before the procession enters the venue and remaining in the venue throughout. Graduands, diplomates and guests (congregation) should rise when the procession enters the venue. No-one should resume their seat until the Chancellor signals to do so. When the ceremony is at an end, the congregation should rise again and remain standing until the procession has left the venue. The graduates and diplomates will join the procession two rows at a time, starting from the front two rows (the most senior degrees) until the most junior diplomates form the end of the procession. As a mark of respect, guests should not leave the venue until the last graduate has departed.

  PLEASE NOTE: Graduands, Diplomates and guests are not permitted to leave the Hall until all the formal proceedings for the graduation ceremony have been concluded and the academic procession has left the hall.
  

• Procedure to be Followed on Stage

  1. Staff from the College or School Office will assist you in going onto the stage at the right time and will ensure that you leave your mortar board on your seat. Your hood should be draped by the neckband on the left arm, and your card held in readiness for handing to the Dean to announce your name. The Dean will hand the card back to you.
  2. The card will also be used as acknowledgment of receipt for your degree certificate. Please sign it and present it to the College or School Officers issuing degree certificates.
  3. Graduands proceed towards the Chancellor and kneel with your right knee upon the stool. The Chancellor will then confer the degree on you. A photograph will be taken on stage at the time of the capping, so please look up at the Photographer.
  4. Proceed to the Robing Officer and hand the hood to him/her. Then turn and face the congregation, so that your hood can be draped over your shoulders. A photograph will again be taken, so please look ahead at the Photographer.
  5. Leave the stage and go to the back of the hall and collect your certificate before returning to your seat. The College/School Officers will ask for your signed card when issuing certificates.
  6. Don your mortar board.
  7. Diplomates follow the same procedure, except that they do not kneel on the stool, since they are not capped, but proceed to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of College who will congratulate them by shaking their hands.
     
     
     

• Academic Dress

  Only official academic dress must be worn for the ceremony, namely gown, hood and mortar board. Hoods of previous degrees must not be worn and the gown and hood should be the one for the degree that will be conferred. The academic outfit can be purchased or hired from the official suppliers who will provide the correct outfit for your qualification. (Refer to enclosed leaflets.) The academic dress should preferably be worn over formal clothing.

   

• Photographs and Videos

  Photographers appointed by the University will take graduation photographs of each graduate during the ceremony. Pre-orders of photographs and DVDs can be made at the Corporate Relations stand at the Graduation Fair, or alternatively, after the graduation from Corporate Relations (further details to be provided at graduation). However you are under no obligation to order these photographs. No unauthorized photographs/videos may be taken during the ceremony. Studios will also be set up as part of the Graduation Fair where photographs can be taken after the ceremony.
  
  The contract you enter into is between you and the photographic studio. The University has no part in the contract.
  
  

• Graduation Fair

  The University of KwaZulu-Natal will stage a Graduation Fair in both Durban and Pietermaritzburg centres.
  At the Graduation Fair, graduands and diplomates will be able to collect their graduation attire already ordered with the official supplier, have their photos taken, buy refreshments, as well as interact with graduation-related exhibitors.

  Please note that Graduation Fair will close half an hour prior to the commencement of the graduation ceremonies and re-open shortly after the official proceedings at the graduation venue have been concluded.

   
  

• Colours

  Forest Green	For all qualifications completed in 2011 from the former Faculty of Science and Agriculture	College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science
  Yellow	For all qualifications completed in 2011 from the former Faculty of Engineering
  Lilac	For all qualifications completed in 2011 from the former Faculty of Health Sciences	College of Health Sciences
  White	For all qualifications completed in 2011 from the  former NRM School of Medicine
  Royal Blue	For all qualifications completed in 2011 from the former Faculty of Education	College of Humanities College of Humanities
  Cerise	For all qualifications completed in 2011 from the former Faculty of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences
  Red	For all qualifications completed in 2011 from the former Faculty of Law	College of Law and Management Studies
  Orange	For all qualifications completed in 2011 from the former Faculty of Management Studies

   

• Important Notes

  1. No extra tickets are available
  2. Graduands and guests should be seated 20 minutes prior to the commencement of graduation ceremony
  3. No late comers will be admitted
  4. No guns or other weapons allowed
  5. No unauthorized photographs to be taken during the ceremony
  6. Smoking is not permitted in the hall
  7. Cellphones to be switched off during the Graduation ceremonies
  8. No food or drink may be brought into the hall