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 Convocation Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions
Do I have to apply for graduation and is there a deadline? Undergraduate Students Wishing to Graduate in June Students wishing to graduate in June are required to submit an Application to Graduate to the Office of the Registrar by April 5th, 2012. Students can find the application to graduate on myTrent in 'Resources. Students will receive a letter via their Trent U email account that lists the results of an assessment based on the program applied for, completed courses and successful completion of currently registered courses. The application fee is doubled for applications received after April 5th, 2012. The final date to apply to graduate with a late fee for this June Convocation ceremony is April 29th, 2012. Applications received after this date will be included in the Fall 2012 graduation group. The sooner you apply the sooner you will know the results of your assessment. Students who have successfully completed the academic requirements for the degree and are free of financial obligations to the University are eligible to receive a degree or diploma at Convocation. Students who are not free of financial obligations to the University are encouraged to participate in Convocation but will not receive their degree or diploma until their financial obligations are met. Only students who have completed all of their degree requirements and had their final grades submitted to the Office of the Registrar by May 15th, 2012 will be allowed to participate in the June 2012 Convocation ceremony. Students who successfully completed academic requirements for their degree too late for Convocation this June will have their names submitted to Senate in the Fall and will be eligible to receive their degree or diploma immediately following the Fall Senate meeting and will be invited to the 2013 Convocation ceremony. Graduate Students Wishing To Graduate in June Eligible graduate students are required to complete an "Application to Graduate" form by April 29, 2012. This form is available on the Graduate Studies website at www.trentu.ca/graduatestudies/forms.php. To be deemed eligible, graduate students must have met all degree requirements for their program of study. Degree requirements include: completion of all required course-work, completion of a major research paper or internship, or a successful defence of a thesis/dissertation, and submission of final copies of the thesis/dissertation to Graduate Studies. Students who have successfully completed the academic requirements for the degree and are free of financial obligations to the University are eligible to receive their degree at Convocation. Students who are not free of financial obligations to the University may participate in Convocation but will not receive their degree or diploma until their financial obligations are met. I have submitted my “Application for Degree Assessment and to Graduate” form, how will I know if I can graduate? Undergraduate students who have applied to graduate receive an email to their Trent U email account from the Office of the Registrar confirming eligibility to graduate. If there is a problem with your academic record you will be notified via your Trent U email account by Marian Leahy mlleahy@trentu.ca or Mary O'Grady maryogrady@trentu.ca as soon as the problem is identified. Graduate students will receive a notice of confirmation prior to the convocation ceremony confirming eligibility to graduate. What happens if I owe the University money? If you owe the University money, e.g., library late fees, parking fines, etc., your degree will not be released until all outstanding debts have been cleared. We strongly recommend that students make arrangements to pay any outstanding fees by calling the Financial Services Office 748-1011 before the ceremony. A representative of the Financial Services Office will be in attendance after the ceremony in the gowning room to accept payment so you can take your degree home with you. You will be allowed to take part in the Convocation Ceremonies and have your name called as you cross the podium even if you do owe the University money. What time should I arrive? Academic attire is required for participation in Convocation ceremonies and is available for students free of charge. There is no required dress code. Please note the gowns are very warm, so dress appropriately according to the weather conditions. Comfortable shoes are recommended. Undergraduate and graduate (Masters and Ph.D.'s) gowns and hoods will be distributed from the Otonabee College Commons upstairs in Otonabee College. Please note that due to limited space only students will be permitted in gowning area - all guests are asked to proceed to the University Court outside of the Bata Library. Where can I store my personal belongings during the ceremony? Valuables should be left with family members or guests prior to arriving at the gowning room. Do not leave purses, keys, jackets or other personal items in the gowning room. What time do I have to line up for the ceremony? How many guest tickets am I entitled to? Guest tickets are not required for any of the ceremonies. While there is no strict limit on the number of guests each graduate can bring, we suggest four guests based on the amount of guest seating. Please note, this year Trent University's Convocation ceremonies overlap with Fleming College's Convocation ceremonies on June 6 & 7 so accommodations and restaurants in Peterborough will be busy. It would be best to make reservations early. It is a good idea to wear sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat if the weather is warm. Where will the ceremony be held? The ceremony is held outdoors (rain or shine) on the University Court which is located outside the Bata Library. Trent University Convocation ceremonies are held outdoors rain or shine and individuals attending the ceremonies should dress appropriately for the weather. If there is severe weather prior to or during the ceremony, the graduating students and podium party ONLY may participate in a shortened ceremony in Wenjack Theatre. Guests of the students will be asked to view the ceremony live from the Gym in the Athletics Centre. How long will the ceremony last? Although this is difficult to predict the ceremonies generally last approximately 2 hours. What is appropriate etiquette for the Convocation ceremony? This is an event to honour the graduates' accomplishments. All participants will be expected to conduct themselves with decorum and in a mature and responsible manner. The use of cell phones is strongly discouraged. Alcohol and smoking are not permitted in the audience or on the stage. To preserve the dignity of the ceremony and the safety of those in attendance, guests are not permitted on the stage before or during the ceremony. Celebration should be respectful of other members of the graduating class. Every graduate would like family and friends to hear his or her name called. Please withhold applause until it is invited. All graduates are expected to attend the entire ceremony. What ceremony do I graduate at?
Must I remain for the entire ceremony? Yes, out of respect for your fellow graduates please remain until the end of the ceremony. Will my name be pronounced properly at the ceremony? You are given a card with your name on it when you arrive in the gowning area. It is very important that you keep this card as this is what the reader uses to announce your name as you cross the podium. If you have concerns about your name being pronounced properly you will have room on that card to write your name phonetically to help the reader get it right. Graduation Portraits (prior to Convocation) Students can have their formal portraits or on-campus photos taken by Miranda Studios in Peterborough. Please contact Miranda Studios at (705) 742-8338 or email info@mirandastudios.ca to set up an appointment prior to Convocation. The Composite Photographs are compilations of the formal portraits by type of degree that hang on the walls of the Colleges. If you would like your photo included in the Composite photos you must have your photo taken by April 30, 2012. Please contact Miranda Studios to book an appointment or visit the web site www.mirandastudios.ca for more information. Currently there are separate composite photographs for the following groups: Business Administration, Education, Nursing, Forensic Science, Bachelor and Master of Arts and Bachelor and Master of Science. If you are just getting the composite photo taken there is no charge. Composite photos will be available for purchase on the bridge near Champlain College on Convocation day. Students who will not be present to purchase their composite photo may contact Miranda Studios. Photographs at Convocation Trent University will be offering two separate professional photography services on campus on the day of convocation: one through GradImages and one through Miranda Studios. GradImages will take two convocation photographs of each graduate on stage as their degree is conferred. You can pre-register to see these photos at the following link: www.gradimages.com If you don't pre-register, you can see your photographs by filling out the information on the back of the card given to you before you get your gown and hood. This is the card from which your name will be read as you cross the stage. On one side of this card, you will be asked to write your name phonetically to make it easier for the name reader. On the other side, you can provide your email and mailing address for GradImages. Within 5 days of the graduation, GradImages will email or mail each graduate photographed a passport-sized proof image, along with the opportunity to select from a variety of photo packages. There is no obligation to purchase and orders will be shipped within 7 days of receiving them. For more information, please visit the website: www.gradimages.com Before and after the ceremony Miranda Studios will be offering families a Portrait Photography service. This service provides grads and their families the opportunity to have professional photos taken on campus, both of the graduate individually as well as with family and friends. There is a sitting fee of $40 (tax incl.) payable at the time of the session. Miranda Studios will email you a web gallery of the images after convocation, and you will be able to order prints at your convenience. Appointments must be booked for this service and will be on a first come, first served basis. To book an appointment, please contact Miranda Studios directly at (705) 742-8338 or info. Due to time constraints there are limited number of appointments available. Please note this is not a studio graduation portrait. Can I borrow a gown and hood to take my own pictures? Gown and hoods are available to rent year around from our conference centre. There is a small fee of $10 for a gown and $5 for a hood that goes to cover the cost of maintaining the gowns and hoods. Conferences can be reached at conferences@trentu.ca or (705) 748-1260. Are there flowers available for sale? Yes, flowers are available on the bridge level at the ceremony. Guests can pre-order flowers for their graduate through Convocation Flowers at the following link: www.convocationflowers.ca/flowers_catalog/index.php?id=trent Can I get my diploma (degree certificate) framed? Yes, Trent Bookstore sells diploma frames and they have a booth set up on the bridge level during Convocation. There are 4 different types of frames ranging from $50-$85. Those attending the morning ceremonies will be directed to park on the east side of the river in the Gzowski or Otonabee College parking lots. There will be signage and attendants to direct you. In order to ease overcrowding and improve traffic flow, guests for the afternoon ceremonies will be directed to park on the west side of the river in the parking lots. There will be signage and attendants to direct you. Please note the distance from the parking lots to the actual ceremony can be up to 1/2 km. Elderly guests, or persons with special needs or limited mobility can be dropped off at the foot of the Bata Library steps on the west side of the river (main entrance). What are the arrangements for accessibilty issues? Parking for persons with special needs or limited mobility will be provided close to the ceremony in the parking lots near the Bata Library. Such persons should identify themselves to the parking attendant. If you require mobility assistance devices such as a cane, walker or wheelchair, we highly recommend you bring it with you to convocation. Special Needs Seating There are 23 steps at the library podium to access the general convocation seating area. We have a designated seating area for those with mobility challenges. The area on the bridge at the top of the stairs is reserved for visitors with special needs and their family members. This area is accessible via the elevator in Bata Library or the elevator at Champlain College (entrance by the Bookstore).
We will have a limited supply of wheelchairs available to assist our guests with mobility issues in accessing seating in the Special Needs Seating area. One of our Convocation Volunteers will assist you to your seat and
Is there a way to watch the ceremony on the web? Is there a reception? Can I purchase a videotape of my convocation ceremony? Yes. Graduates with children should make appropriate arrangements for supervision in the audience during the ceremony. Children are not permitted to sit with the graduates or greet the graduates on stage. Daycare is not provided but there is an unsupervised area with activities for children near the guest seating, under the overhang. What happens if I can’t attend Convocation? Candidates unable to attend Convocation will be granted a degree in absentia. After the Convocation Ceremonies you will be contacted by the Office of the Registrar to confirm your mailing address before your degree is mailed. If you prefer to pick up your degree please email registrar@trentu.ca prior to June 8. |