Graduation Terms and Conditions

• If you are identified as being eligible for the upcoming ceremony, you will be invited to register via email sent to your Kent and Personal email address on KentVision. This does not guarantee your place at the ceremony or confirm that you will be still eligible later as there may be circumstances that impact when you are due to graduate.
  
  
• Your invitation to the ceremony does not guarantee your attendance, we do have a registration deadline and a capacity limit in the Cathedral. 
  
  
• You must register for your graduation ceremony by the deadline. If you miss the deadline, you may not be able to attend this set of graduation ceremonies in person.
  
  
• You have been allocated to a specific ceremony date and time and will not be able to move your ceremony.

• During registration, you will pay the £50.00 graduation fee which means that you can attend your ceremony and bring with you up to two guests, which you must do upon registration. Two guests will be automatically added to your basket, and it is up to you if you wish to remove these guests. 
  
  
• The graduation fee must be paid by the deadline advised if you wish to attend your ceremony, there is no charge to graduate in absentia or defer your ceremony. 
  
  
• Tickets are not posted in advance, around 1 week prior to the ceremony E-Receipts will be sent which will be used on the day to exchange for a hard copy of the ticket. 

• Extra tickets are not guaranteed for every ceremony and should not be relied upon when making plans to attend your ceremony. 
  
  
• Once the initial registration deadline has passed, then the numbers of tickets remaining for the ceremonies will be assessed. 
  
  
• All registered and attending students who have paid their registration fee will then be advised via email of a date and time that additional tickets would be available.  Please do not email congregations to ask for extra tickets.
  
  
• These would be sold online on a first-come, first-served basis, priced at £30.00 per ticket.
  

• Graduand seating is organised by award type, then surname. Graduands will be provided with a processional order number at Graduate Check In on the day which will determine their order to process into the Cathedrals.
  
  
• Guest seating within the Cathedral is not allocated in advance and is instead on a first come first serve basis based on your position in the guest queue. When guests enter the Cathedral, they will be advised on where they can sit by our seating staff.
  
  
• There are a few seating areas within the Cathedral, such as the central nave or the south aisle. There are differences in view between these areas, and some provide a view of the graduand walking down the central aisle whereas others can see them at the front.  Some of the seats are located behind a pillar, and therefore have an obstructed view, please note that where seats have an obstructed view, there are screens displaying live streaming.  

• You have the right to request a cancellation for your graduation booking.
  

• All requests for refunds will be accepted up until 1 week prior to your graduation ceremony. This includes your graduation fee, additional tickets, and gown hire fee. After this time, requests will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances, and should be submitted in writing to graduations@kent.ac.uk as soon as possible.

• All refunds are made to the payment card used for the purchase. Any tickets bought on the day of the ceremony at Ticket Collection are nonrefundable.
  

• Any student who is unable to attend a graduation ceremony due to academic reasons or outstanding financial commitments will automatically receive a full refund. 

• The graduation fee is non-transferrable between graduands.
  
  
• Please note that the Tempest and Graduate Gowning websites are external to the University of Kent. As such, we are not responsible and accept no liability for the use of their websites.

• We want to ensure that all graduates and their guests can fully participate in graduation ceremonies. We support thousands of students and guests each year with a variety of needs from social/neurodiverse conditions, visual and hearing impairments, chronic long term health conditions and/ or mobility difficulties. 
  
  
• You must get in touch with us at least 3 weeks prior to your ceremony so that we can ensure that arrangements are put in place for you.    

• We welcome children at our graduation ceremonies.
  
  
• We advise that these are formal occasions, and the ceremonies are approximately 90 minutes long, which may not be suitable for all ages.
  
  
• Children aged 3 or under do not require their own ticket. However, they will be required to remain seated on a guardian's lap for the duration of the ceremony. 
  
  
• It is recommended to not bring pushchairs and prams wherever possible. If you do bring these, they will need to be folded up if brought into the Cathedral so as not to block the aisles. 
  
  
• Children must always remain accompanied by a guardian within any of the venues designated for graduations.
  
  
• There will be no admission to the ceremony for children under 18 without an appropriate adult. There are no crèche or childminding facilities available.

We ask that you follow our guidance regarding their attendance to make sure that you have an enjoyable and safe experience.

At any event attended by children there is the rare possibility that they may become separated from their parent or guardian.

Please ensure that you let your child know in advance that if they are separated from you during the event, that they should report to a member of staff for them to be safely and promptly returned to your party.

All our staff members at the graduations are fully briefed of our lost and found child procedure.

• All graduands must graduate in academic gowns hired from the Graduate Gowning Company.
  
  
• Graduation is a formal occasion, so graduands are requested to dress smartly for the occasion. It is recommended that graduands and their guests wear shoes that they are comfortable wearing for walking to and from the venues and standing waiting to enter the Cathedral. National dress is welcomed.
  
  
• Please note if you have a reason why you will not be able to dress smartly, then please get in touch with us prior to your ceremony to make these arrangements.

• There are rules which require your legal name to be on your printed degree certificate, which needs to be the same as your other legal documents e.g your passport.
  
  
• However, we know that you may not want your legal name to be read out on the day of your graduation and we can arrange this for you.
  
  
• We can both read your chosen name during the ceremony and print your chosen name in our programme, providing you notify us via the form sent to you, before the published deadline.
  
  
• Please note this does not change your legal name on your degree certificate. This must remain your legal name as per your other legal documents.
  
  
• If you need to change your legal name, please follow the steps here: Before your graduation 

• Use of professional photography and filming equipment is prohibited inside the Cathedral as well as the venues where Tempest Photography are operating. 
  
  
• Your photo will be taken by a photographer appointed by Tempest Photography (our official graduation services supplier) during the ceremony when your name is called out.
  
  
• Our Communications team will also take generic photos and video, which could include you in attendance. If you do not wish to be included, please ensure you maintain distance from any pictures and filming taking place. They will be in branded media team uniforms so that they are spotted.
  
  
• All ceremonies will be livestreamed via YouTube at the time of the ceremony, this will be available online as a recording following the ceremony.
  
  
• Film footage and photographs taken may be used on social media, or shared on our University of Kent Flickr.
  
  
• Please speak to a member of the Graduation team as soon as possible if you do not wish to be included in this way. 

• If you have a debt to the University you may still be invited to a ceremony but it is important to note the deadline for clearing debts. If your outstanding balance is a fee debt, failure to meet the deadline will mean your results will be withheld and you will be excluded from graduating.
  
  
• If you have tuition fee debt, discuss the payment of this as soon as possible with our Finance department via finance@kent.ac.uk.
  
  
• If your outstanding balance is an ancillary debt (i.e. not related to University tuition fees, such as resit or accommodation fees), failure to pay the balance by the deadline means the University reserves the right to revoke your invitation to attend the ceremony. Instead, you will automatically graduate in absentia and your certificate will be posted to you after the ceremonies.
  
  
• However, in the case of ancillary debt, you may also choose to defer your ceremony if you have contacted the graduations office with your preference before the published deadline. 

• How you conduct yourself on the day reflects on you, your guests and the University. We want everyone to enjoy the day, so ask you to respect others who are also graduating with you.
  
  
• We do not tolerate aggressive or threatening behaviour by or to our graduates, their guests or staff.
  
  
• The Student Code of Conduct applies to graduands attending the ceremonies and extends to their invited guests.

The University reserves the right to ask any students or guests to leave the ceremony for disruption to the day including the following reasons:

• Behaving in an anti-social or threatening manner
• Carrying any prohibited items
• Under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Using an invalid or counterfeit ticket
• No ticket refunds will be available in such circumstances.

The University will not admit any guests without a ticket.

The University reserves the right to refuse entry to a graduation ceremony

• All visitors must follow Health, Safety and Fire instructions of the University and of the Cathedral which will be informed to you by our Ceremony Marshall at the start of the ceremony.
  
  
• We have the right to eject anyone behaving inappropriately or causing concern in relation to safety, health, or wellbeing.
  
  
• You must leave the Cathedral grounds and venues by the times advised to you.