Graduands should arrive at the assembly area at the Dunedin Centre, accessible via the Glenroy Auditorium entrance on Harrop Street, in your academic dress 1 hour and 10 minutes before the ceremony starts. The marshalling area is located in the Dunedin Centre, adjacent to the Dunedin Town Hall. Access is through the Glenroy Auditorium entrance on Harrop Street. Ensure you arrive by your designated time, as late arrival may mean you are unable to take part in the ceremony.
Affix the numbered sticker from your guest ticket to the left side of your gown for procession organisation. A staff member will remove it before you cross the stage. This numbered sticker is your graduation order number. It includes your name and qualification/s and determines the order in which you cross the stage and where you will be seated in the hall. Do not remove the sticker yourself.
When you arrive at the marshalling area, you must be fully dressed in your regalia. Do not bring more than one hood - only one hood may be worn at a time. If you are receiving two degrees and have hired both hoods, you will need to choose which hood to wear for the ceremony.
You will need both hands free while on stage, so it is strongly advised that you do not carry items that do not fit in your pockets. As you will not return to the same seat after crossing the stage, we recommend not bringing cellphones, cameras, flowers, or handbags into the marshalling area.
You will be seated around 40 minutes before the ceremony. Advise your guests that they will need to be seated at least 10 minutes before the ceremony begins. The Chancellor, Council, and staff enter the Town Hall promptly at the stated start time, and all attendees are requested to stand as the procession enters.
The ceremony will start with a procession of the Council, academic staff, and University of Otago affiliates. It will include singing the National Anthem in Māori and English, followed by the commencement of degree conferrals. The ceremony begins with welcomes from the Chancellor and the Māori Orator before the National Anthem.
While degrees are conferred, graduands are called in strict numerical order. Staff will direct each row to the stairs at the right side of the stage (facing the stage). When your name is called, proceed up the stairs holding your trencher in your left hand and stand in front of the Chancellor. The Chancellor will confer your degree by holding a trencher over your head, then congratulate you and shake your hand. The Registrar will present your degree certificate as you move across the stage. You should then put on your trencher and wear it for the remainder of the ceremony.
If you are receiving a diploma, the process is the same except you will not be capped. You must wear your trencher while crossing the stage.
After leaving the stage via the stairs on the far left, you will be directed to a new seat in the hall.
The Graduation Address will be delivered and concluding remarks by the Chancellor. The singing of Gaudeamus will occur as staff leave, signalling the end of the event. Staff will then leave the Town Hall in procession, after which you and your guests are free to depart.
The ceremony is approximately 90 minutes long. While children are welcome, it may be lengthy for very young ones. Children sitting on laps do not need a guest ticket, but those requiring seats do. There is limited storage space for prams and pushchairs within the Town Hall complex.
At the ceremony, you will receive a hard copy of your degree or diploma certificate (testamur) and your official academic record (transcript). If you are graduating in absentia (not attending the ceremony), your documents will be sent to you by signature-required courier after the ceremony has been held.