Okanagan Convocation Ceremonies June 8 and 9

Have you ever wondered what happens before, during and after graduation ceremonies on the Okanagan campus? Read on for details.

Before the Ceremony

Students assemble inside the Fipke Atrium at the instructions of the Student Marshals and Enrolment Services Marshals. Students receive their parchments and reader cards and then form a double line that will meet up with the bag piper in front of the Administration Building.

The Faculty Marshals line up the faculty members along the sidewalk starting approximately at the Security Office and leading towards the Gym. They wait for the Student procession to pass them. The Senators then join the line up once they’ve checked into the Chancellor’s Robing Room (Sunroom).

At a signal from the Ceremonies volunteer, the bag piper begins to play and leads the Student Procession to the gymnasium. Faculty applaud the students as they pass and the procession continues to the gymnasium and the Faculty Procession will follow. The Senators then return to the Chancellor’s Robing Room to join the Chancellor’s Procession.

The bag piper then leads the students into the gym. The Faculty Procession stops at the entrance to the gym (beside the bleachers.) Once the students are at their seats, the bag piper stops playing and exits the gym. By this point the Chancellor’s Procession should have caught up with the Faculty Procession at the entrance to the gym. At the signal of the Ceremonies Manager, the Wind Ensemble will perform a fanfare and then processional music. The Faculty and Chancellor’s Processions will enter the gym at the fanfare and take their places on stage.

After the Ceremony

The Processions leave the gym in the reverse order that they entered it. The Mace Bearer will lead the Chancellor’s Procession from the stage and out of the gymnasium. The Faculty Procession follows the Chancellor’s Procession.

Once outside of the gymnasium, the Senators and Faculty members will not continue to the courtyard. They will line the sidewalk leading down from the gym to greet the Student Procession which will follow them out of the gymnasium immediately.

This is the second Faculty Honour Guard and they will applaud the students as they walk past them. Once the Student Procession has passed by, the faculty will follow them back to the courtyard for the post-ceremony reception. Please encourage the students to go to the courtyard and not block the sidewalk as the rest of the guests (around 1200) will be exiting the gymnasium immediately after. Ushers will hold the audience inside until the processions have left the building.