Autumn 2021 graduations

All staff are warmly invited to participate in the upcoming Autumn graduation ceremonies held in Ballarat, Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. Graduation Masses will also be celebrated alongside our ceremonies in Canberra and Ballarat. Visit the graduation website to access the full schedule of ceremonies.

All staff with a university degree or diploma are welcome to participate in the academic procession at the mass and/or ceremonies.

The Graduations Office is also looking for staff volunteers to assist with ceremonial activities on the day (eg graduate registration and ushering).

All staff who wish to participate in, or volunteer at, the graduation masses or ceremonies must submit the Staff Registration for Graduation form available in Service Central.

The following registration deadlines apply:

• Ballarat: Registration closes Thursday 25 March
• Canberra: Registration closes Wednesday 31 March
• Melbourne: Registration closes Monday 12 April
• Brisbane: Registration closes Tuesday 4 May
• Sydney: Registration closes Monday 10 May

Staff requiring ACU academic regalia for the academic procession must hire it via Service Central before the applicable closing date.

COVID-19 impacts to graduation

COVID-19 has changed the way we do things and, while COVID exists as a health threat, public events remain the most vulnerable of all activities. We are planning COVID-safe ceremonies with our external venues. This has necessitated changes to graduation ceremonies in 2021, including:

• All venues are operating with reduced capacities and as well as restrictions on allowable activities. COVID-Safe capacities for graduation events are smaller than the standard COVID-Safe capacity for the ceremony space because of the additional activities associated with graduation (eg gowning, photography, registration) that make the flow and congregating of attendees a critical factor in the risk assessment of the event
• Guest tickets are capped at 2 per graduate and there is very limited capacity for audience tickets for staff and guests of the University. Historically, ACU has been generous with guest numbers but unfortunately this is not an option in our COVID environment.
• Additional dates and ceremonies have been added to the ceremony schedule to accommodate COVID-Safe requirements and demand. Ceremonies have been added in Ballarat, Melbourne and Sydney.
• The number of stage participants is also reduced to comply with COVID-safety. The Graduations Office will be monitoring registrations and may need to close registration sooner than the advertised closing date if capacity is reached.

Our students’ university experience culminates with their graduation. It is a significant event in the university’s calendar and an opportunity for staff to offer a final show of support and celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates.

Please contact the Graduations Office on (07) 3623 7480 or via Service Central with any enquiries.

We look forward to seeing you at Graduation in celebration of the achievements of our students and staff.