Award Ceremonies
Welcome to the home page for the London Metropolitan University's Awards Ceremonies.
Awards Ceremonies in 2012:
Outline ceremony arrangements for students awarded in 2012 are now available. There will be September ceremonies for students awarded up to mid-July and December ceremonies for students awarded after mid-July.
Your award date is the date your award is agreed by the University Awards Board; you are advised of your award via Evision the same evening or the following morning. This year students awarded up to and including 19 July will be invited to the appropriate September ceremony, and students awarded after that date will be invited to the appropriate December ceremony. For further details see the sections immediately below.
No further details concerning the ceremonies will be available until May at the earliest. There is no need for students hoping to graduate to do anything with respect to ceremonies until further advice is published. In the short term, enquiries may be directed to 020 7133 2790, but there will be no information beyond that detailed in the two sections immediately below. Information on this page referring to 'Before the Day', 'On the Day' and 'After the Day' is applicable to the 2011 ceremonies and has not yet been updated to reflect arrangements for 2012.)
September 2012 ceremonies:
Students invited to the September ceremonies will include those already awarded in 2012, and students completing their final assessments in the Spring Semester (module result publication date 29 June), provided the University Awards Board subsequently confirms by 19 July that they have sufficient credit and have met any other requirements necessary for their award. The dates of the September ceremonies will be
Monday 17th September for students in the following faculties:
- London Metropolitan Business School
- Sir John Cass School of Art, Media and Design
- Architecture and Spatial Design
Tuesday 18th September for students in the following faculties:
- Life Sciences (includes the Schools of Human Sciences and of Psychology)
- Computing
- Law, Government and International Relations
- Social Sciences and Humanities (includes the former Applied Social Sciences and the former Humanities, Arts, Languages and Education)
- Cross-Faculty Combined Awards
It is not yet possible to advise the times of the individual ceremonies on these two days.
December 2012 ceremonies:
Students with an award date after 19 July will be invited to the appropriate faculty ceremony in December. This will include
- students completing during the summer reassessment period (standard module results publication date is 7 September, award date will normally be 14 September)
- students whose courses require assessments during the summer period including postgraduate students completing their dissertation (standard module results publication date is 8 October, award date will normally be 19 October and no later than 2nd November).
The December ceremonies will be on Monday 3 December and Tuesday 4 December. It is not yet possible to advise which faculty ceremonies will be on which day.
Please ensure that your "home" address and your email address are correct on the University’s Student Records System, as we will be posting important information to your recorded home address and emailing you as well. You can view and edit your contact details via your Evision account.
Awards Ceremonies:
The awards ceremonies are popular events, held at the prestigious Barbican Centre in central London, at which graduates and honorary recipients are recognised and presented. While formal and traditional, to give due weight to the achievements of the graduates, the ceremonies are - for the same reason – also occasions for enthusiastic celebration. Graduates may invite relatives or friends to share the occasion and can once again meet former colleagues and members of staff in a sociable environment before and after the formal ceremony. Most will ensure they take advantage of the opportunity to keep a photographic record of their graduation, proudly wearing their graduation robes.
If your award was conferred in 2011/12 and you would like to attend your ceremony, you need to apply by following the instructions in the invitation which will be posted to you, and we will look forward to seeing you at the Barbican Centre on the day.
If you cannot or do not wish to attend your ceremony, simply do not apply to attend.
Information about the ceremonies has been split into three sections:
- Information relevant before the ceremonies
- Information relevant on the day of your ceremony
- Information relevant after the ceremony
For easy navigation a list of all topics is included below. Simply click on each link to go to the relevant section. If you have any questions that are not answered on this website please Contact Us.
Before the day:
- Invitation and tickets
- Obtaining Visa Letters (Inviting Guests from Abroad)
- Ordering Gowns and Hats
- Ordering Photography
- Ordering Graduation DVD's
- Graduates / Guests with Special Requirements
- Arranging Accommodation in London
- Cancellations
On the day:
- Getting to the Barbican Centre
- Upon Arrival
- Gowns, Hoods and Hats
- Professional Photography
- Graduation DVD
- Bringing Children
- Eating and Drinking at the Barbican
- The Awards Ceremony Brochure
- ATM facilities at the Barbican Centre
- Disabled Access and Special Requirement
- Arriving Late
- Enquiries on the Day
- Inside the Hall
- Gaudeamus Igitur - A Translation
After the day:
- The Alumni Association
- Photography
- Graduation DVD
- Gowns and Hats
- Requesting a Brochure
- Your Award Certificate
- Continuing your Education at London Metropolitan University
Before the day
Invitation and Tickets
Graduates will be sent invitations to the awards ceremonies, depending on when their award was formally confirmed and published. The first wave of invitations will be posted from mid-September onwards. The second wave, for students whose award was confirmed and published after the summer reassessment period, will be sent in late September. The third wave, for students whose award was confirmed and published after the publication of postgraduate dissertation modules or other modules completed over the summer period, will be sent in late October.
Your invitation will be sent to the "home" address we have in the University’s records system. Please ensure that this address is kept up to date as all correspondence from the University (including transcripts and certificates) will be sent to that address once you have graduated. You can check or update your address by logging onto Evision in the normal manner - please note, however, that if you change your address after we have posted your invitation, you will also need to inform the Awards Ceremony Team directly. You can do this during the booking process. For any changes after you have submitted your booking request, please Contact Us.
The ceremony is by invitation only. If you have not received an invitation by the end of October and think you should have done, please Contact Us and we will investigate. Once you have received your invitation, you will need to follow the instructions and use the on-line booking system to request your place and, if you wish, to request and pay for places for your guest(s). It is essential you do this by the deadline indicated on your invitation as there will be no further opportunity. If you arrive at the Barbican Centre on the day of the ceremony without having booked tickets then you and your guests will not be admitted to the ceremony asno seats will have been allocated.
As a graduate you are entitled to attend the ceremony without charge, provided that you advise us via the booking site by the specified deadline that you intend to do so, regardless of whether or not you bring guests. The payment for each guest ticket will cover the cost of a seat in the Barbican Hall, the Awards Ceremony brochure, and light refreshments after the Ceremony. When you have received your invitation and have logged onto the booking system, you will be asked to inform us whether you wish to invite any guests, and if so whether one or two. This is necessary so that we may determine specific seats for you and your guests, and issue in advance the guest tickets for specific seats. The number of guests you may invite is strictly limited to a maximum of two for all ceremonies. There will no exceptions. It is not expected that there will be any spare tickets and there will be no further option to purchase additional tickets before or on the day of your ceremony.
The booking system is a standard on-line ordering and payment system. Please read your posted invitation carefully first, and please enter all the relevant information requested during the booking process. The system is straightforward but incorporates systems to prevent your ordering for the wrong ceremony or ordering more than two guest tickets, and if you make a number of incomplete attempts it will prevent you trying again. If this happens, or you encounter other problems, please Contact Us.
Once we have received your booking we will allocate your seats, but you will not hear from the Awards Ceremony Team again until approximately 10 days before the ceremony when we will write with further information about what to expect on the day, enclosing your gu tickets. If you wish to check that we have received your reply to the invitation then please Contact Us.
If you owe the University money (for example outstanding library fines, tuition fees or accommodation fees) then you will not be posted an invitation and therefore will not be able to book to attend. Please Contact Us if you have any queries regarding this.
Obtaining Visa Support Letters (if coming from abroad)
We appreciate that if you and/or your guests are coming from outside the EU to attend the awards ceremony then you may require a visa to enter the UK. For information about Visitor's Visas please see www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting
We can provide a standard letter from the University confirming the reason why you or your guests wish to enter the country and requesting that a visa is issued promptly.
During the booking request process you will need to specify your requirements, if any, for visa support letters. This will include providing the full names of each guest as printed in their passport and specifying the relationship of each guest to you eg mother, father.
If we have already supplied you with a visa letter for a guest and the name of that guest subsequently changes, we can only provide another visa letter upon receipt of the original. The University reserves the right to refuse to issue visa letters at its discretion..
If during the booking process you omit mention of a visa requirement, or do not provide sufficient details, please Contact Us to advise your requirement / details; if you do this promptly there may still be time to provide a visa support letter. This exceptional arrangement is solely to provide visa letters for guests who have been booked via the booking process by the booking deadline, and will not enable extra guests to be added.
The above visa support letter arrangements have been finalised after consultation with The Home Office UK Border Agency to meet their regulations.
Ordering Gowns, Hood and Hats
Academic dress, also known as robes, is supplied by a private company Ede & Ravenscroft.
A leaflet from Ede & Ravenscroft explaining how to order and pay for your gown, hood and hat will be enclosed with your invitation. Wearing these is not a requirement but the vast majority of graduates choose to do so. Most students hire the outfit for the day but it is possible to buy it.
If you decide to wear the gown, hood and hat then you will have to wear the correct versions for London Metropolitan University. From August 1st 2002, London Guildhall University and the University of North London merged to form London Metropolitan University. Since the merger, many aspects of the two Universities have been unified so that students can take full advantage of the opportunities available. The old UNL and LGU academic gowns have been decommissioned and graduates will only be able to wear the new attire.
Any queries relating to the hiring of the academic dress should be put directly to Ede & Ravenscroft The University cannot answer any questions on this matter. You can order your gown online but it is strongly recommended that you do not do so until you have received and responded to an invitation to the ceremony.
Ede and Ravenscroft can be contacted at:
Ede & Ravenscroft
Unit A
Denny Industrial Centre
Waterbeach
Cambridge
CB5 9QD
Tel: 01223 861854
Textphone: 1800101223861854
You can also visit their website at www.gownhire.co.uk
Please Click Here to view images of the different Hoods available depending on your award.
Ordering Photographs
All photography for the occasion is organised by a private company called Ede & Ravenscroft.
A leaflet from Ede & Ravenscroft containing an order form for photographs and frames will be enclosed with your invitation. Any queries relating to the professional photography service should be put to Ede & Ravenscroft themselves. The University cannot answer any questions relating to this service.
Please do not return your photography order form to the University as we cannot process these orders. The order form must be posted to Ede & Ravenscroft at the address below.
Ede & Ravenscroft Photography can be contacted at:
Ede & Ravenscroft Photography
Second Drove
Fengate
Peterborough
PE1 5XA
Tel: 0870 2421170
E-Mail: photography@edeandravenscroft.co.uk
Ordering Graduation DVD's
Many graduates and their families will wish to purchase a souvenir Graduation DVD. DVDs will be produced, separately for each ceremony, showing your complete graduation ceremony, graduates celebrating at the Barbican, and additional material as a reminder of time spent at the University. These will be provided by a company called mygraduationfilm.com which is responsible for filming, production, enquiries and sales.
You may order online or by post before or after the ceremony, or you may order at the ceremony. We recommend that you order on the day of your ceremony by visiting the DVD sales desk at the Barbican, as for orders submitted at the desk the UK postage and packing charge will be waived, and an equivalent reduction will be applied to the worldwide postage and packing charge. These discounts do not apply to orders submitted in other ways. Twin packs (family packs) are available at a substantially reduced rate.
The company’s website is www.mygraduationfilm.com and email enquiries should be directed to enquiries@mygraduationfilm.com
The Awards Ceremony Team is not responsible for the production or sale of the Awards Ceremony DVDs, and the University cannot be held responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Graduates / Guests with Special Requirements
If you or your guests have any special requirements, you should inform the Awards Ceremony Team of these during the booking process. You may wish to additionally confirm this or advise further detail, please Contact Us.
Please note that graduates normally ascend and descend the stage via a short set of steps. If this is problematic, please Contact Us immediately and we can make alternative arrangements.
The Barbican has produced a very detailed PDF document giving information about access for those with disabilities or mobility problems. This can be accessed by Clicking Here*.
*n.b you will need the Adobe Acrobat reader to view this document. You can download this programme for free by clicking here. The University cannot be held responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Arranging Accommodation in London
Though London Metropolitan University does not affiliate itself with any particular hotel chain, we have compiled a list of websites below that may be helpful in finding accommodation*.
www.lastminutelondon.co.uk
www.activehotels.com
www.londontown.com
www.all-hotels.com
www.linklondon.co.uk
www.hotels-london.co.uk
www.travelodge.co.uk
www.direct-hotels.co.uk
* The above links are provided in good faith and are in no particular order. This list is in no way meant to be exhaustive. The University cannot be held responsible for the content of external internet sites or any bookings made through any of the above sites. The University does not affiliate itself with the above sites nor does the University gain financially or otherwise from the above websites or the hotels listed therein.
Cancellations
If you, as the graduating student, have told us via the booking process that you will be attending and, subsequently, find that this is no longer possible, please inform us as soon as you can so that we may allocate your seat to another graduate.
If you find that a booked guest is unable to attend, a refund will only be possible if we have not yet posted the ticket(s), as after that point it will be too late for us to reallocate the guest seat. We generally post the tickets to graduates 10 days weeks prior to the ceremony. Refunds are therefore quite exceptional. To inform us of a cancellation for either a student or guest please Contact Us.
On the day
Getting to the Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is in central London and is easily accessible by rail, underground and road. A map of the immediate area, clear directions and parking information are helpfully provided by the Barbican Centre on their website by Clicking Here.
We will also include a map and directions with your final information pack about two weeks before your graduation day.
It is always worth checking the travel conditions in London before starting your journey and Transport for London (TfL) maintains a very good website with all the latest travel information. You can view their homepage by Clicking Here.
Remember that if you are driving into central London you may have to pay the congestion charge. You can get more information about the London congestion charge by Clicking Here.
It is highly recommended that you arrive at the Barbican Centre about one hour and 45 minutes before your ceremony is due to commence. This will give you time to collect your gown and hat, to have your photograph taken – there will be queues for both - and to ensure you and your guests know where you each need to go and to get there in time.
There are very limited cash withdrawal services at the Barbican Centre and the ATM machines often run out of money very quickly on the day of the ceremony. You are strongly advised to bring cash with you if you intend to make any purchases.
Upon Arrival
Details of what you need to do when arriving for your ceremony will be published here shortly. But please bear in mind that you should aim to arrive about one hour and 45 minutes before the start of your ceremony.
Gowns and Hats
Before the ceremony, you will need to go to the Robing Area to collect your robe and hat (if ordered). Experienced staff from Ede & Ravenscroft will be on hand to give assistance.
If you did not order a robe in advance from Ede & Ravenscroft, you may still be able to hire one on the day - please ask staff in the robing area for the availability of robes.
Once your ceremony has finished you should return your robe and hat to Ede & Ravenscroft (unless, of course, you have chosen to purchase the academic dress rather than hire it). Ede & Ravenscroft will charge graduates for robes and hats that are not returned.
For more information about academic dress, please visit Ede & Ravenscroft's website by Clicking Here.
Professional Photography
Ede & Ravenscroft's professional photographers will be at the Barbican Centre two hours before the ceremony commences. They will be well sign-posted and will be situated on Level 0 of the Barbican Centre. If you have hired academic dress from Ede & Ravenscroft then please ensure you make collection before you queue for the photography. Remember that you will need to be seated in the hall at least fifteen minutes before the ceremony commences.
The photographers do tend to be extremely busy on the day so, to avoid the rush, you are advised to arrive early to catch the queues at their shortest.
If you have not pre-ordered the professional portrait service then Ede & Ravenscroft may still be able to assist you on the day. You should make enquiries directly to Ede and Ravenscroft.
Graduation DVD
Many graduates and their families will wish to purchase a souvenir Graduation DVD. DVDs will be produced, separately for each ceremony, showing your complete graduation ceremony, graduates celebrating at the Barbican, and additional material as a reminder of time spent at the University. These will be provided by a company called mygraduationfilm.com which is responsible for filming, production, enquiries and sales.
We recommend that you order on the day of your ceremony by visiting the DVD sales desk at the Barbican, as for orders submitted at the desk the UK postage and packing charge will be waived, and an equivalent reduction will be applied to the worldwide postage and packing charge. These discounts do not apply to orders submitted online or by post before or after the ceremony. Twin packs (family packs) are available at a substantially reduced rate.
The company’s website is www.mygraduationfilm.com and email enquiries should be directed to enquiries@mygraduationfilm.com
The Awards Ceremony Team is not responsible for the production or sale of the Awards Ceremony DVDs, and the University cannot be held responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Bringing Children
The Awards Ceremony is a formal celebratory and social occasion and we understand that graduates may wish to enjoy the day with their family. However, the duration of the ceremony is normally at least two hours, the auditorium can get quite warm and guests need to remain seated at all times and cannot leave before the end of the ceremony. For these reasons, it has been our experience that young children do not enjoy the occasion and may become restless and even cause some disruption to those seated nearby, in which case both the child and the responsible adult are required to leave the hall. We therefore advise graduates that ceremonies are unsuitable for young children and you should not request tickets for them.
There is a large foyer outside the auditorium where the ceremony is televised. Children and their carers are more than welcome to use this area and watch the ceremony on TV.
If you do bring an older child into the auditorium then they must have a ticket, and there are no concession prices for children. There are no creche or child-minding facilities available at the Barbican Centre.
Eating and Drinking at the Barbican
Post-ceremony light refreshments are provided by the University and the cost is included in the ticket price. However you may also wish to have a sit-down meal with your family or friends; this would be at your expense.
The Barbican Centre has a number of restaurants and cafés providing a good range of food and beverages.
For more information regarding these facilities, please visit the Barbican Centre's website by clicking here.
The Awards Ceremony Brochure
The Awards Ceremony Brochure celebrates and records the achievements of London Metropolitan University graduates.
The Brochure is available without charge to all graduates. If you neglected to pick up a brochure on the day and would like us to post one, please Contact Us.
Graduates are grouped according to faculty, course title and award classification.
For a variety of reasons, some graduates are awarded very late in the academic year. As a result, we do not send the brochure to print until the very last minute and we make every effort to include the name of every graduate. On occasions, due to a late award, it is not possible to include a graduate's name in the brochure. In such cases, the graduate's name may be added, on request, to the following year's brochure.
ATM facilities at the Barbican Centre
There are very limited cash withdrawal facilities at the Barbican Centre and we strongly recommend that you withdraw money before you arrive.
There is one ATM machine at the Barbican Centre that often runs out of money very quickly.
Disabled Access and Special Requirements
If you or your guests have any special requirements, you should inform the Awards Ceremony Team as soon as possible. You need to notify us via the booking process but may provide further details by Contacting Us.
Please note that graduates normally ascend and descend the stage via a short set of steps. If this is problematic, please Contact Us
immediately and we can make alternative arrangements.
The Barbican has a very detailed section on their website with information about access for those with disabilities or mobility problems. This can be accessed by Clicking Here.
Arriving Late
We do advise that graduates arrive at the Barbican Centre one hour and 45 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. However we also appreciate that, for a variety of reasons, graduates can be delayed.
If you do arrive late then staff will make every effort to accommodate you. However we stress that graduates cannot be taken into the hall once the ceremony has commenced.
Enquiries on the Day
If you have any enquiries on the day, University staff will be available to answer any questions.
Barbican Centre staff will also be available to assist you with any queries concerning directions or facilities.
Inside the Hall
Once all the graduates and guests are seated inside the auditorium, the assembly is asked to stand as the academic procession enters the hall. The Academic Registrar will lead in members of academic staff, honorary degree recipients, guest speakers and senior officers of the university.
The Presiding Officer will open proceedings and welcome distinguished visitors, graduates and their guests, and various speeches will be made. Once these speeches have concluded the graduates will be awarded.
Graduates will be asked to stand row-by-row and will line up stage-left. Each graduate will ascend a short flight of stairs. The speaker (usually the Dean or Associate Dean of faculty/school) will read out the graduate's name and the graduate will walk across the stage where he or she will be congratulated by the Presiding Officer.
After all graduates have walked across the stage and returned to their seats, the Presiding Officer will say a few words and then declare the proceedings closed.
The assembly is asked to stand as the academic procession leaves the hall to the students' anthem, Gaudeamus Igitur. (Latin for "Therefore, let us rejoice").
Graduates and their guests are invited to join University staff for refreshments on the ground floor terrace.
Gaudeamus Igitur - A Translation
Gaudeamus Igitur is regarded as the oldest student song, based on a latin manuscript of 1287. The oldest known version of the Latin words is in a handwritten student song book dated between 1723 and 1750, but the modern version of the words seems to date from 1781 and the music from 1794. The music is best known, however, from its use by Johannes Brahms in his Academic Festival Overture (Opus 80) composed in 1880. The overture is a medley of student songs whose climax is a majestic rendition of Gaudeamus Igitur. It is used in countless graduation ceremonies throughout the world and particularly in Europe. It is sung in keeping with an academic tradition of at least 900 years which began with the foundation of the University of Bologna, the Alma Mater of European universities.
Some verses of Gaudeamus Igitur with an English translation are as follows:
| Gaudeamus igitur Juvenes dum sumus Post jucundum juventutem Post molestam senectutem Nos habebit humus. |
While we are young, let us rejoice |
||
| Vita nostra brevis est, Brevi finietur, Venit mors velociter Rapit nos atrociter, Nemini parcetur |
Life is short and all too soon We emit our final gasp; Death ere long is on our back; Terrible is his attack; None escapes his dread grasp |
||
| Vivat academia Vivant professores Vivat membrum quodlibet Vivat membra quaelibet Semper sint in flore! |
Long live our academy, Teachers whom we cherish; Long live all the graduates; And the undergraduates; Ever may they flourish. |
||
| Vivat nostra societas, Vivant studiosi Cescat una veritas, Floreat fraternitas Patriae prosperitas |
Long Live our society, Scholars wise and learned; May truth and sincerity Nourish our fraternity And our land's prosperity |
After the day
The Alumni Association
Membership of the Alumni Association is open to all graduates and former staff of London Metropolitan University (including graduates and former staff from the University of North London, London Guildhall University, City of London Polytechnic, Polytechnic of North London, and all other predecessor institutions).
There are some 170,000 graduates of London Metropolitan University in the UK and around the world. The Alumni Association gives graduates the opportunity to keep in touch with former classmates and teachers and regularly informs graduates of developments at the University. It can also be of assistance in graduates' personal and professional development.
To visit the Alumni Association's website, please Click Here.
Photography
The professional photography for the London Metropolitan Awards Ceremonies is organised by a private company called Ede & Ravenscroft.
Any queries relating to the professional photography service should be directed towards Ede & Ravenscroft. The London Metropolitan University cannot answer queries relating to the photography service.
Contact details are:
Ede & Ravenscroft Photography
Second Drove
Fengate
Peterborough
PE1 5XA
Tel: 0870 2421170
E-Mail: photography@edeandravenscroft.co.uk
Graduation DVD
If you did not order your graduation DVD at the ceremony you may order it afterwards. Please visit www.mygraduationfilm.com where you will be able to order online or by post.
The Awards Ceremony Team is not responsible for the production or sale of the Awards Ceremony DVDs, and the University cannot be held responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Gowns and Hats
Any queries relating to the hiring of academic dress should be put to Ede & Ravenscroft themselves.
The University cannot answer any questions relating to the hiring of gowns. If you failed to return your hired gown and/or hat at the end of the ceremony please contact Ede & Ravenscroft as soon as possible.
Ede & Ravenscroft can be contacted at:
Ede & Ravenscroft
Unit A
Denny Industrial Centre
Waterbeach
Cambridge
CB5 9QD
Tel: 01223 861854
Textphone: 1800101223861854
Or visit their website at www.gownhire.co.uk
Requesting a Brochure
The Awards Ceremony Brochure celebrates and records the achievements of graduates of London Metropolitan University. Copies will be available at the ceremony.
The Brochure is free to all graduates.
If you did not pick up a copy of the awards ceremony brochure on the day, we would be happy to post one. Please Contact Us to order one..
Your Award Certificate
Certificates are usually posted together with your transcript within 6 weeks of the conferral of your award, which is not the date of your ceremony but the date the University Awards Board confirms your award.
They are posted by recorded delivery to your home address as recorded in the University’s Student Records System. Some graduates may receive their certificates prior to the ceremony and some may receive them after.
For more information regarding certificates please Click Here.
Continuing your Education at London Metropolitan University
As a graduate of London Metropolitan University, you may wish to continue your education with us.
To view our full range of undergraduate, postgraduate, pre-degree and Professional and Short Courses, as well as our English and Foreign Languages.
| Contact Us | |
| Phone | 0207 133 2790 |
| ceremony@londonmet.ac.uk | |
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| Award Ceremonies |
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