The ceremony

Collecting your robes

You need to collect your academic robes on the day of your ceremony from the Greenlands Trust Suite (number 13 on the Graduation map) at least one hour before your ceremony.

Representatives from Ede & Ravenscroft will be on hand to help you robe. You should bring a record of your robe hire confirmation email with you.

Please leave your belongings (handbag, mobile phone etc.) with your guests as you will not be able to carry them in the procession.

The Ceremony

Graduands should go to the Procession Marquee (number 2 on the Graduation map) 45 minutes before the start of the ceremony, where you will be registered and lined up in procession order by a marshal.

Please note the Processions Marquee will close 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony, if you are not in this marquee by this time you risk not being able to graduate in your ceremony.

Graduands will be given instructions and led to the Ceremony Marquee before the start of the ceremony. Graduands must sit in order or their names will be read out incorrectly. At the appropriate time, graduands will be directed by their marshal to process down the centre of the marquee to the steps onto the stage.

Guests with tickets for the Ceremony Marquee will be permitted to enter 25 minutes before the ceremony and will be directed to their seats by ceremony marshals.

Guests without tickets to the marquee can watch the ceremony live in the video relay room (number 12 on the Graduation map)

Processions

The Academic Staff Procession will enter the marquee and be seated on the stage. Chief Officers will then process in followed by the ceremonial Maces. Once the Procession is seated, the Presiding Officer will welcome graduands, guests and staff to Greenlands and to the ceremony. The University Orator will then declare the Congregation open for the conferment of degrees.

Presentation

Graduands will be presented individually by the University Orator. You will be guided by your procession marshal up the centre of the marquee and you will ascend a short flight of stairs after your name is called. You will shake hands or doff your cap with the Presiding Officer, walk across the stage as a graduate and descend via the stairs on the left hand side. You will be presented with your degree certificate on your way back to your seat.

Speech

Once all the names have been called, you will then be seated for the remainder of the ceremony for a speech by the Dean of the Henley Business School. Please remember that you will be captured on the live web streaming. At the end of the ceremony, graduates will doff their caps to the Presiding Officer as they process out of the marquee. Graduates will then process out of the marquee following the Academic Staff Procession.

Please note, as it is a live feed, it is not possible for anyone to opt out of filming for the live web stream, therefore images recorded at Graduation will assume the permission of individuals pictured.

View the Greenlands Graduation Ceremonies live (Graduation day only).