Ceremony instructions

Ceremony location & parking

Ceremony day

When graduating students should arrive

Directions for the date and time of your ceremony.

Plan to arrive early. You must be on-site at least 90 minutes before your ceremony start time. This allows time to pick up your grad card, parchment, and regalia as well as line up for the academic procession.

The procession begins half an hour before your ceremony start time.

Ceremony length

Ceremony lengths vary but usually run around two hours. Give yourself time after your ceremony to enjoy the informal reception and take photographs with family and friends.

When your guests should arrive

Guests are welcome to arrive early for the ceremony. Doors to the ceremony hall will open one hour prior to the start of the ceremony.

Seating is not assigned. We recommend arriving early to get the best seats. Cushions are encouraged, as not all seating is padded. Bleachers will be utilized.

Frames, flowers, and UFV merchandise will be available for purchase at the event.

You may want to share the full schedule with your guests.

What to wear

Graduates are required to wear regalia (a black gown and hood or vee-stole) as they cross the stage. Most graduates wear business or dress attire under their gown. Your gown will cover most of your clothing except legs and feet. You will be walking between buildings and standing during the marshalling process and procession. Regalia can be very warm, so lightweight attire is recommended.

Find out about ordering and picking up your grad regalia

What to bring with you

Please only bring personal items that you are comfortable carrying throughout the ceremony. Although there is a coat check available to graduates, the coat check is not a secure storage place. It is recommended that you leave personal items such as purses and coats at home or with your families/guests during the ceremony.

After the ceremony

After the ceremony, there is an informal reception in the Alumni Celebration Plaza, located directly outside of the ceremony hall. Pick a location to meet your friends and family and leave time to take photographs in your regalia. Frames, flowers, and UFV merchandise will be available for purchase at the event.

If you or your guests require assistance

For information about accessible seating, assistance, or sign language interpretation please see the Accessibility page.

Small children

We don’t recommend bringing young children under six or seven years of age to the ceremony — it’s a long event for youngsters to sit through. If a child is restless or noisy, this may be a distraction to other guests. Thanks in advance for your co-operation. There is no child-minding service provided.

All guests, including infants and small children, must have tickets to enter the ceremony for fire code regulations.

About your credential

How to pick up your degree, diploma, or certificate

You will pick up your credential or parchment when you arrive prior to your ceremony. Watch for signs and team convocation members directing you to documents.

How to get your parchment if you cannot attend Convocation

Please refer to your student email, where the Office of the Registrar will send instructions on how to receive your parchment outside of Convocation.

If you already received your parchment in the mail

You do not need to bring your parchment with you. A diploma cover will be given to you so that you look like all the other graduates when you cross the stage.

If you're receiving more than one credential (e.g. a degree and a diploma or certificate)

If the programs are graduating at the same ceremony, you will be handed all your 'parchments' at the same time. Your highest credential earned will be acknowledged as you cross the stage. If you are graduating from programs that are scheduled for different ceremonies, you are entitled to attend both/all ceremonies but you do not have to. In fact, that would be unusual to do so. Normally, graduands attend the ceremony and wear the regalia where they are receiving their most senior credential (e.g. a degree over a diploma; a diploma over a certificate).